+  GOETHE'S  + 


•*•  CORRGSPORDGHCG   UIIT 


GOETRE,  LAVATER,  WIELAND, 


LUCY     MURRAY 


NO 


CATHARINE  ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 
From  Dr.  Dorow's  ''Rtiniii iscettzeu  '' 


GOETHE'S  MOTHER. 

CORRESPONDENCE  OF  CATHARINE   ELIZABETH  GOETHE 

WITH    GOETHE,  LAVATER,  WIELAND,   DUCHESS  ANNA 

AMALIA   OF   SAXE-WEIMAR,    FRIEDRICH  VON 

STEIN,    AND    OTHERS. 

cLrunsIatetr  from  fire  (£tnmut, 

0 
WITH  THE  ADDITION  OF  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  AND  NOTES, 

BY 

ALFRED  S.  GIBBS. 


WITH   AN   INTRODUCTORY   NOTE  BY 

CLARENCE  COOK. 


NEW  YORK: 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


COPYRIGHT, 

BY  DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY. 
1880. 


' '  The  mother  was  more  like  -what  we  conceive  as  the  proper  parent 
for  a  poet.  She  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  figures  in  German  literature, 
and  one  standing  out  -with  greater  -vividness  than  almost  any  other. 
Her  simple,  hearty,  joyous,  and  affectionate  nature  endeared  her  to  all. 
She  was  the  delight  of  children,  the  favorite  of  poets  and  princes.  To 
the  last  retaining  her  enthusiasm  and  simplicity,  mingled  with  great 
shrewdness  and  knowledge  of  character,  FRAU  AjA,  as  they  christened 
her,  wa,s  at  once  grave  and  hearty,  dignified  and  simple.  She  had 
read  most  of  the  best  German  and  Italian  authors,  had  picked  up  con- 
siderable desultory  information,  and  had  that  mother-wit  which  so  often 
seems  to  render  culture  superfluous  in  women." 

LEWES'  LIFE  OF  GOETHE. 

"  'She  was  worthy  of  life,'  said  her  great  son  to  me  in  the  year 
1814,  when  he  revisited  his  paternal  city.  '  How  intense  was  her  at- 
tachment to  her  friends  ;  how  efficient  a  mediator  and  helper ;  how  faith- 
ful and  discreet  a  confidante  was  she!  She  used  to  say,  "Don't  lose 
your  presence  of  mind  because  the  wind  blows  roughly ;  and  think  of 
Wieland's  words,  'Die  Hand  die  uns  durch  dieses  Dunkel  fuhrt ' — 
the  hand  that  leads  us  through  this  darkness.'"  (See  page  42.) 


220S281 


TRANSLATOR'S   PREFACE. 


THE  letters  composing  the  following  collection  have 
been  obtained  chiefly  from  the  following  sources  : 

1.  Reminiscenzen.      Herausgegeben  von  Dr.   Do- 
row.      Leipzig,  1842. 

2.  Briefe  von  Goethe  und  dessen  Mutter  an  Fried- 
rich,  Freiherrn  von  Stein.      Herausgegeben  von  Dr. 
J.  J.  H.  Ebers  und  Dr.  August  Kahlert.      Leipzig, 
1846. 

3.  Frau  Rath.     Briefwechsel  von  Katharina  Elisa- 
beth Goethe.     Nach  den  Originalen  mitgetheilt  von 
Robert  Keil.     Leipzig,  1871. 

Further,  two  unpublished  pamphlets  printed  for 
private  circulation,  viz.  : 

4.  Briefe  der  Frau  Rath  an  ihre  lieben  Enkeleins. 
Zwolf  Briefe  von  Goethe's  Eltern  an  Lavater. 

The  most  recent  and  complete  collection  is  that  of 
Dr.  Keil,  in  which  may  be  found,  arranged  in  chrono- 
logical order,  the  best  of  the  previously  published  let- 
ters, v/ith  the  addition  of  thirty-four  from  Goethe's 
mother,  and  fifty-three  from  her  various  correspond- 
ents not  heretofore  published. 

There  are  a  few  letters  attributed  to  Goethe's  ( 
mother  in  Bettinavon  Arnim's"  Goethe's  Correspond- 
ence with  a  Child,"  of  which  there  is  an  English  trans- 
lation. These  I  have  not  included  in  my  selection, 
for  Bettina's  clever  and  amusing  work  has  fallen,  as 
regards  reliability,  into  general  discredit. 


vi  Translator  s  Preface. 

One  of  the  charms  of  the  following  letters  is  their 
quaintness — a  quality  which,  in  great  measure,  they 
must  unavoidably  lose  in  translation.  An  attempt 
to  reproduce  this  characteristic  in  another  language 
would,  I  believed,  result  only  in  a  feeble  imitation. 
I  have,  however,  made  a  somewhat  literal  version, 
and  have  not  sought  in  it  to  avoid  a  quaint  and  anti- 
quated tone  when  it  lent  itself  naturally  to  the  trans- 
lation. Traces  here  and  there  of  their  strange  and 
foreign  origin  did  not  seem  to  me  objectionable  in 
familiar  letters,  where  the  manner  is  oftentimes  as 
important  as  the  matter. 


TO   THE    READER. 


THERE  are  human  characters  which,  like  the  prism, 
present  nothing  remarkable  to  the  observer  who 
looks  at  them  from  a  certain  side  ;  but  seen  at  a 
different  angle  they  touch  the  commonplaces  of  life 
with  many-colored  light.  Such  a  character  was  that 
of  the  translator  of  the  following  letters  ;  and  all 
who  knew  him  well  must  have  shared  the  regret  felt 
by  the  friend  of  more  than  thirty  years  whose  mourn- 
ful lot  it  is  to  lay  this  memorial  flower  upon  his 
grave,  that  a  light  so  serene  and  lovely  as  beamed 
from  his  character  could  not  have  cheered  a  wider 
circle.  Had  circumstances  pushed  him  earlier  into 
the  ranks  of  those  who  serve  the  public  with  the 
pen,  we  friends  who  know  what  were  his  powers  of 
observation  and  his  skill  in  description  cannot  doubt 
that  he  would  have  distinguished  himself  from  the 
crowd,  if  only  as  a  writer  of  travels.  His  letters, 
which  came  to  us  stayers-at-home  from  all  parts — 
from  Italy,  Germany,  France,  and  England — turned 
the  light  of  his  quiet  humor  upon  many  a  corner  of 
these  countries  little  known  to  the  general,  and  set 
before  us  such  lively  and  varied  pictures  in  a  style 
so  limpid  and  easy,  that  we  often  wished  for  the 
right  to  make  the  public  a  sharer  in  our  private  pleas- 
ure. Persuaded  by  friendly  hints,  he  wrote  now  and 


viii  To  the  Reader. 

then  foi  the  newspapers  and  magazines,  but  he  could 
not  be  altogether  at  ease  with  the  public,  and  we 
missed  the  flow  of  spirits  and  the  abundant  humor, 
playing  on  a  background  of  common-sense  and 
shrewdness,  which  made  his  private  letters  so  wel- 
come. 

His  character  was  strongly  marked,  though  he 
had  so  serene  a  disposition,  with  such  quiet  man- 
ners, that  only  those  who  knew  him  well  could  guess 
how  deep  were  his  convictions  and  how  firm  he  was 
in  guarding  them.  He  shunned  controversy,  and 
unwillingly  put  his  own  opinion  forward,  yet  was 
ever  stanch  and  true  when  convinced  that  any  cause 
required  his  advocacy.  Those  who  only  saw  him  in 
the  sunshine  of  life  and  in  the  happy  circle  of  friends 
could  not  know  the  strength  of  his  will,  his  immov- 
ableness,  when  once  his  feet  were  planted  in  the 
place  where  it  was  right  for  him  to  stand.  But  with 
all  this  strength  he  was  free  from  any  taint  of  pug- 
nacity or  obstinacy.  He  could  resist,  but  it  was  the 
resistance  the  rock  makes  to  the  pressure  of  the 
stream,  hiding  its  refusal  under  a  cushion  of  sunlit 
moss,  and  sweetened  with  a  chance-sown  root  of 
violet. 

He  knew  the  meaning  of  friendship,  and  in  that 
domain  he  held  a  gentle  sway.  But  his  idea  of  this 
affectionate  relation  was  a  generous  one,  and  had  for 
its  foundation  an  absolute  equality.  His  integrity 
was  almost  childlike  in  its  simplicity.  He  was  not 
lavish  of  his  heart,  but  when  he  gave  it  he  gave  it 
wholly,  and  he  looked  in  his  friend  for  the  sincerity 
he  himself  showed.  But  he  had  his  reserves,  and 
respected  those  of  others,  nor  would  rashly  intrude, 


To  the  Reader.  ix 

but  on  invitation  said  strongly  what  seemed  to  him 
the  fitting  word,  aid  knew  better  than  to  speak 
smooth  things  when  truth  was  needed. 

His  departure  was  sudden,  and  the  news  that  he 
was  indeed  gone  came  like  lightning  out  of  a  clear 
sky.  But  when  the  shock  was  over,  and  those  who 
loved  him  were  able  to  think  on  what  had  happened, 
it  seemed  the  crown  of  good  fortune  to  have  been 
rapt  from  the  battle  without  so  much  as  the  smell  of 
fire  upon  his  garments.  For  his  health  had  all  his  life 
been  sound,  though  never  robust,  and  to  his  friends  no 
warning  had  been  shown  that  the  end  was  near.  To  sit 
at  table  with  your  friend  in  the  bright  holiday  season, 
welcoming  him  home  after  ten  years  of  absence  ;  to 
draw  chairs  about  the  gleaming  fire  when  the  other 
guests  have  gone,  and  renew  in  the  last  hours  of  the 
dying  year  the  memories  of  by-gone  days  ;  to  part  at 
the  door  and  watch  for  a  few  moments  the  well-known 
form  disappearing  in  the  cold  and  gas-lit  streets  of 
winter,  while  we  returned  to  the  warmth  and  light  ; 
and  then  after  two  days  to  read  the  dreadful  telegram 
that  said  "  Our  friend  is  gone" — how  like  a  dream, 
after  such  an  experience,  seems  life  to  those  who 


remain 


Alfred  Seymour  Gibbs,  the  only  son  and  youngest 
child  of  Alfred  Gibbs  and  Hannah  Nye  (there  were 
six  daughters,  all  but  two  of  whom  lived  to  woman's 
estate,  though  but  one  of  all  survives  the  only  broth- 
er), was  born  in  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  July 
II,  1830,  and  died  in  the  city  of  New  York,  Decem- 
ber 29,  1879.  His  education  was  carefully  conduct- 
ed, first  at  the  Friends'  Academy  in  New  Bedford, 
and  afterward  at  the  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover. 


x  To  the  Reader. 

He  was  ready  to  enter  college  at  sixteen,  but  delayed 
applying  for  admission  for  a  year  owing  to  a  lack  of 
robustness  in  his  health,  and  by  the  advice  of  friends 
who  thought  twenty-one  young  enough  to  graduate. 
He  accordingly  entered  Harvard  College  in  1847,  but 
only  remained  there  two  years,  and  never  graduated 
in  form.  The  writer  first  made  his  acquaintance  as  a 
fellow-lodger  in  the  house  of  the  late  Eliza  Lee  Fol- 
len,  who  was  living  in  Cambridge  while  her  son, 
Charles  Follen,  was  making  his  terms.  The  house 
Mrs.  Follen  occupied  being  too  large  for  her  needs, 
she  consented  to  give  up  the  vacant  rooms  to  two 
collegians  who  should  prefer  a  home  in  a  private 
family  to  life  "  in  the  yard."  Charles  Follen  and 
the  writer  being  in  the  same  class,  that  of  1849,  I  ^a(^ 
already  been  admitted  to  the  privilege  of  rooms  in 
his  mother's  house,  and  on  a  day  we  were  informed 
that  a  young  man  from  New  Bedford,  a  Freshman, 
was  to  have  the  remaining  apartment.  Seymour 
Gibbs  appeared,  a  slightly-built,  gentlemanly  youth, 
with  an  earnest  but  winning  face,  and  with  manners 
of  a  frank  sweetness  that  made  friends  at  once.  Be- 
tween us  three  there  began  an  intimacy  which  was 
to  make  an  important  element  in  all  our  lives,  a 
friendship  which  never  suffered  even  a  moment's 
temporary  eclipse,  and  which,  now  that  all  but  one 
of  the  circle  are  gone  from  this  earth — 

"  All,  all  are  gone,  the  old  familiar  faces  !" 

is  looked  back  upon  by  the  survivor  as  a  shattered 
dream  of  happiness  for  whose  long  stay  in  a  world 
where  so  much  is  fleeting  a  man  cannot  be  too 
grateful. 


To  the  Reader.  xi 

In  a  notice  of  my  friend's  lite,  however  short,  it 
would  not  do  to  pass  over  in  silence  such  an  impor- 
tant event  in  his  education  as  the  two  years  spent  un- 
der Mrs.  Pollen's  roof.  Both  she  and  her  sister,  Miss 
Cabot,  were  women  who  would  have  honored  any  so- 
ciety ;  but  the  influence  brought  to  bear  upon  Sey- 
mour's life  by  this  association  was  more  important 
than  could  have  been  exerted  by  any  merely  social  op- 
portunities. Of  such  opportunities,  indeed,  he  did  not 
stand  in  need  ;  but  it  is  only  at  certain  epoch-making 
times,  such  as  was  this  of  1847-9,  tnat  society  ranges 
itself  into  camps  and  draws  together  in  groups  the 
leaders  of  the  hostile  forces  contending  for  the  mas- 
tery. Mrs.  Pollen  and  her  sister  were  important  fac- 
tors in  the  anti-slavery  movement  that  makes  those 
years  so  famous  in  our  history ;  and  at  Mrs.  Pollen's 
house  we  youths  were  accustomed  to  see  many  of 
the  most  active  workers  in  the  anti-slavery  cause. 
Here  came  Wendell  Phillips,  William  Lloyd  Garri- 
son, Theodore  Parker,  Mrs.  Maria  Weston  Chap- 
man ;  and  at  the  times  of  the  annual  convention 
and  the  anti-slavery  fair  there  was  scarcely  a  nota- 
ble person  on  the  anti-slavery  side  who  did  not 
present  himself  at  a  house  where  not  only  was  a  wel- 
come assured,  but  a  welcome  graced  by  all  that  was 
noble  and  lovely  in  woman's  hospitality.  Mrs.  Pol- 
len's circle  was  by  no  means  restricted  to  the  party 
in  whose  councils  she  shared.  She  was  related  by 
blood  to  many  of  the  families  who  threw  their  influ- 
ence into  the  opposite  scale  ;  and  as  it  was  impossible 
for  such  a  personality  as  hers — with  her  beauty  of 
person,  her  gracious  dignity  of  manner,  combined 
with  a  childlike  simplicity  and  directness,  and  a  ready 


xii  To  the  Reader. 

wit — to  be  dropped  out  of  any  circle  to  which  it 
naturally  belonged,  for  mere  political  differences, 
we  were  saved  from  the  narrowness  that  must  have 
come  if  we  had  been  confined  to  look  upon  one  side 
of  life  alone,  even  were  that  side  the  possessor  of  all 
the  virtues.  How  far  we  profited  by  our  opportu- 
nity is  a  point  I  will  not  attempt  to  determine,  but 
it  is  certain  that  to  few  young  men  in  college  is  such 
an  opportunity  offered  as  was  ours  in  those  rich  years. 
In  1849  Charles  Follen  graduated,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  go  to  Europe  for  a  few  years  to  carry  his  stud- 
ies still  farther.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  mother 
and  aunt,  Miss  Cabot.  After  the  departure  of 
his  friends,  young  Gibbs  took  lodgings  in  the  col- 
lege yard,  but  his  temperament  was  unfit  for  that 
mode  of  life,  and  he  could  not  study  in  his  new  sur- 
roundings. His  health,  too,  drooped,  and  he  at 
length  decided  to  leave  college  for  a  time  and  to 
join  his  friends  in  Europe.  He  went  abroad,  and 
met  the  party  in  London  in  the  same  year,  or  per- 
haps early  in  1850.  During  the  first  year  of  his  ab- 
sence he  kept  up  certain  of  his  college  studies  with 
much  diligence,  in  anticipation  of  rejoining  his  class 
and  graduating  in  due  form  from  Harvard,  but  he 
finally  determined  to  remain  abroad  for  another 
year.  In  the  society  of  these  friends  he  found 
many  of  the  most  delightful  houses  in  England 
opened  to  him,  and  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
most  notable  people  of  a  time  when  England, 
owing  to  the  revolutions  going  on  on  the  Continent, 
was  rich  in  distinguished  exiles,  beside  her  own 
wealth  in  famous  men  and  women.  Mrs.  Pollen's 
long  and  intimate  friendship  with  several  of  the 


To  the  Reader.  xiii 

leaders  in  the  intellectual  world  of  London  gave  her 
a  right  to  the  hospitality  of  a  society  whose  iron 
doors,  though  obdurate  enough  in  general,  turn  on 
softest  hinges  at  the  call  of  such  voices  as  hers.  In 
company  with  these  ladies  and  his  friend  Charles 
Follen,  Seymour  Gibbs  passed  two  happy  years, 
enjoying  to  the  full,  opportunities  of  seeing  the 
world  which  were  worth  far  more  as  education  to  a 
youth  of  his  turn  of  mind  than  the  same  time  spent 
in  college  could  have  been. 

He  returned  to  America  in  the  summer  of  1851, 
and,  receiving  no  encouragement  from  the  business 
connections  of  his  late  father  to  enter  a  merchant's 
office,  to  which  he  had  looked  forward,  he  decided, 
after  some  months  of  reflection,  to  take  up  the  study 
of  medicine,  though  having  in  reality  no  inclination 
for  that  or  any  other  of  the  prescribed  routines. 
The  things  he  liked  best  in  this  world  were  study, 
reading,  and  the  society  of  his  friends,  and  could  he 
have  had  these  he  would  have  been  easily  content 
with  the  most  modest  way  of  living.  He  was  no  as- 
cetic, yet  he  was  content  and  even  happy  with  a  little, 
and  all  his  life  set  an  example  of  moderation,  living  at 
at  ease  and  moving  without  embarrassment  in  circum- 
stances that  would  have  hampered  many  other  men. 
Still,  it  seemed  best  to  his  friends  and  to  himself  that 
he  should  have  a  part  to  play,  and  he  chose  that  of  the 
physician.  He  went  to  Philadelphia  in  the  autumn 
of  1852,  and  attended  lectures  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Medical  College,  and  graduated  in  1856,  in  which 
year  his  diploma  is  dated. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he  suffered  very  keenly 
from  a  sense  of  his  physical  inability  to  take  part  in 


xiv  To  the  Reader. 

the  general  uprising ;  for  though,  as  I  have  said,  his 
health  had  all  his  life  been  sound,  his  constitution  was 
delicate.  In  March,  1862,  when  military  hospitals 
were  springing  up  in  Philadelphia,  he  offered  himself 
as  an  assistant  surgeon,  and  was  appointed  to  the 
South  Street  Hospital.  But  at  that  time  no  medical 
man  of  his  age  and  education  had  volunteered  for  this 
service,  and  friends  earnestly  dissuaded  him  from  his 
offer  by  the  advice  that  ' '  he  was  too  good  a  man  for 
the  place."  Still  he  persisted,  this  seeming  to  him 
the  duty  that  lay  nearest,  and  a  little  later  he  found  no 
lack  of  companions  of  the  same  education  as  himself. 
In  fact,  so  clear  was  his  mind  that  he  could  not  stand 
by  an  idle  spectator  of  the  conflict,  that  it  was  a  great 
satisfaction  to  him  when  the  hospital  service  gave  him 
an  opportunity  to  go  forward.  He  hesitated  some- 
what, from  a  fear  that  he  might  fail  in  executive 
power.  The  first  men  who  were  put  under  him  were 
not  wounded  men,  but  those  who  had  fallen  off  on 
the  march  or  in  camp.  They  were  without  discipline, 
and  often  drunk  and  unruly.  The  building  which 
was  fitted  up  in  South  Street  to  receive  these  men 
was  not  completed  when  Dr.  Gibbs  took  charge,  and 
on  one  occasion  he  had  three  hundred  unruly  men 
under  his  care  for  three  days  and  nights  before  Dr. 
Neil  had  leisure  to  appoint  other  officers  and  get  the 
hospital  well  organized. 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  Dr.  Gibbs  was 
transferred  to  the  field-hospital  there,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  few  weeks  only.  From  thence  he  was 
sent  to  the  Chestnut  Hill  Hospital  in  Philadelphia, 
and  was  attached  to  th^  service  of  that  institution 
until  the  close  of  the  war. 


To  the  Reader.  xv 

From  this  time  until  1870  Dr.  Gibbs  continued  to 
live  in  Philadelphia,  in  the  nominal  practice  of  his 
profession.  But  though  he  had  been  very  happy  in 
the  hospital  service,  where  his  work  and  his  charac- 
ter were  highly  valued  and  made  him  many  friends, 
he  could  not  feel  an  interest  in  private  practice.  I 
do  not  know  if  he  hated  sick  people,  as  I  lately 
heard  one  eminent  medical  man  say  of  himself,  but 
he  really  had  very  little  sympathy  with  the  thousand 
and  one  mild  distempers  that  are  so  much  for  the 
moment  to  those  who  think  they  suffer  them,  and  so 
little  in  reality.  Boston  gossip  used  to  say  of  her 
most  eminent  surgeon  that  he  could  not  forgive  a 
man  who  successfully  resisted  an  amputation,  and 
no  doubt  every  medical  man  likes  a  "  bad  case." 
But  the  most  part  of  cases  are  not  bad,  and  our 
practitioner's  benevolence  was  not  large  enough  to 
take  in  the  little  shivering  influenzas  and  toothaches 
that  rang  his  bell  at  night,  or  pulled  at  his  sleeve 
when  he  was  deep  in  study.  His  private  practice 
had  indeed  never  been  sufficient  to  create  an  in- 
terest in  it,  and  he  determined  to  husband  his 
pecuniary  resources  by  spending  some  years  in  Eu- 
rope, and  in  May,  1871,  in  company  with  his  only 
surviving  sister,  he  sailed  for  Europe,  intending  to 
stop  abroad  for  several  years.  He  did  indeed  remain 
until  1 879,  returning  to  America  in  August  of  that  year. 

Dr.  Gibbs  and  his  sister  joined  the  writer  and  his 
wife  in  Paris,  but  the  time  was  ill-chosen,  for  war  was 
in  the  horizon,  and  it  came  all  too  soon  for  the  hap- 
piness we  had  promised  ourselves.  We  were  whirled 
apart  ;  they  to  Switzerland,  we  to  Italy,  and  it  was 
long  before  the  uproar  subsided  enough  for  us  to 


xvi  To  the  Reader. 

communicate  with  one  another.  From  Switzerland 
Dr.  Gibbs  went  down,  the  next  year,  to  Italy  ;  but  we 
had  already  broken  up  our  winter  quarters  in  Flor- 
ence, and  were  moving  about  from  one  place  of  inter- 
est to  another  ;  and  as  the  chances  of  travel  would 
have  it,  we  did  not  meet  again  till  we  met  at  home 
nine  years  afterward.  After  spending  four  years 
on  the  Continent,  our  friend  passed  the  remainder  of 
the  time  he  was  abroad  in  England  and  Scotland. 
His  letters,  during  all  this  time,  were  a  great  source  of 
pleasure  and  instruction  to  us  at  home,  making  allow- 
ance for  his  almost  humorous  heat  in  the  advo- 
cacy of  the  French  cause  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war, 
or  rather,  for  he  was  not  blind  to  the  fault  of 
the  French  let  me  say,  his  heat  in  denouncing  the 
Germans,  for  whom  he  had  but  few  good  words. 
It  was  not  from  ignorance  of  the  Germans  that  he 
disliked  them  ;  he  had  lived  much  among  them,  and 
he  had  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  their  language, 
which  he  read  freely,  as  well  as  with  their  history  and 
their  literature.  Nor  did  he  carry  his  feeling  farther 
than  the  general,  but  had  friends  enough  among  that 
people,  and  friendships  enough.  It  was  a  matter  of 
temperament  and  sympathy  ;  and,  in  spite  of  a  thou- 
sand righteous  demands  made  on  our  admiration  by 
the  German  people,  it  must  be  owned  he  shared  his 
preference  for  the  French,  his  delight  in  their  genius, 
and  his  enjoyment  of  their  language,  with  many  of  his 
countrymen.  I  may  add  that  besides  his  knowledge 
of  the  German  language,  which  he  wrote  and  spoke 
with  fluency,  he  was  a  very  accurate  French  scholar. 
Indeed,  he  had  a  turn  for  languages,  and  while  in 
Italy  made  a  close  study  of  Italian. 


To  the  Reader.  xvii 

« 

So  much  it  has  seemed  well  to  say  of  the  per- 
sonality of  the  translator,  who  has  given  us  the 
following  interesting  correspondence.  Perhaps 
the  sympathetic  reader  may  feel  with  me,  that  he 
has  added  to  our  picture-gallery  of  good  women  a 
portrait  it  would  have  been  a  pity  to  lose.  Goethe's 
mother,  seen  in  the  light  of  these  letters,  is  indeed  one 
of  the  most  cheerful  figures  in  the  literary  history  of 
the  last  century.  Her  warm  heart,  overflowing  with 
affection  for  her  friends,  her  motherly  worship  of  her 
son,  and  her  delight  in  everything  that  he  did  and 
everything  that  he  wrote,  are  never  tiresome,  how- 
ever often  met  "with.  And  yet,  with  all  this  enthu- 
siasm, we  are  equally  struck  with  her  strong  common- 
sense,  her  clear  perception,  and  her  shrewdness,  to- 
gether with  the  transparent  honesty  of  her  speech. 
We  feel,  as  we  read,  how  important  a  part  such  a 
woman  must  have  played  in  the  society  of  her  time, 
a  rude  society,  for  all  its  intellectual  splendor,  but 
rude  rather  by  what  it  lacked  than  by  any  positive 
traits.  What  the  Duchess  Amalia  was  to  the  little 
Court  of  Weimar,  and  through  that  to  the  other 
aboriginal  courts  of  Germany — 

"  not  yet  appeared 
And  struggling  to  get  free  their  hinder  parts." — 

Goethe's  mother  was  to  the  rich  bourgeoisie  of  Frank- 
fort arid  to  the  world  of  fruitiul  but  untrained  liter- 
rary  society  that  delighted  in  her  as  much  for 
her  own  sake  as  for  her  relation  to  the  greatest  Ger- 
man of  his  time.  Even  her  piety,  old-fashioned  and 
orthodox  as  it  seems  in  these  runagate  times,  has 
something  rich  and  inspiring  about  it,  and  indeed  it 


xviii  To  the  Reader. 

is  of  a  higher  strain  than  that  piety  of  Germans  and 
English  against  which  Mr.  Matthew  Arnold  has  lifted 
so  irreverent  a  spear.  Frau  Rath  is  in  some  sort 
a  Homeric  woman,  a  mate  for  Andromache  and 
Penelope  ;  to  come  nearer  home,  she  carries  us,  as  we 
read,  to  Shakespeare's  world,  and  we  place  her  in 
memory's  gallery  side  by  side  with  Volumnia. 


My  thanks  are  due  to  the  publisher  of  Scribner's 
Monthly,  my  good  friend,  Roswell-Smith,  Esq.,  for 
his  permission  to  reprint  an  article  on  the  Goethe 
House  at  Frankfort,  written  by  Dr.  Gibbs  for  his 
magazine,  and  contained  in  the  number  for  Novem- 
ber, 1875.  It  is  printed  as  an  appendix  to  the  present 
volume. 

An  article,  consisting  of  a  selection  from  the  letters 
cf  Goethe's  mother,  was  prepared  by  Dr.  Gibbs,  and 
printed  in  Lippwcotfs  Magazine  for  November,  1879. 
This  was  also  politely  placed  at  my  disposal  by  the 
publisher  of  that  magazine,  together  with  an  electro- 
type of  the  portrait  of  the  Frau  Rath,  which  is  placed 
as  a  frontispiece  to  this  book.  The  article  itself  con- 
tained nothing  but  what  appears  in  the  present 
work. 

With  regard  to  the  spelling  of  proper  names  and 
German  words,  I  hesitated  for  a  while  between  uni- 
formity, and  following  the  practice  of  the  different 
letter-writers.  Finally  I  decided  for  the  latter,  and  I 
hope  the  judgment  of  the  reader  will  go  along  with 
me  in  the  matter.  The  irregular  spelling  and  some- 
times risky  grammar  of  the  Frau  Rath  give  a  per- 


To  the  Reader.  xix 

sonal  flavor  to  her  letters,  and  help  make  up  their  ex- 
ternal individuality.  As  the  proofs  have  been  read 
•with  care,  it  is  hoped  that  the  reader  will  not  charge 
to  carelessness  variations  in  spelling  which  are  really 
to  be  ascribed  to  the  desire  of  the  translator  and  edi- 
tor to  ' '  follow  copy. 

CLARENCE  COOK. 

NEW  YORK,  171  West  Tenth  St., 
November,  1880. 


INTRODUCTION. 


CATHARINE  ELIZABETH  TEXTOR  was  born  at 
Frankfort-on-the-Main,  February  the  iQth,  1731. 
Her  father's  great-grandfather,  Wolfgang  Weber,  had 
according  to  the  fashion  of  his  time,  Latinized  the 
humble  name  of  Weber  into  Textor.  Why,  does 
not  appear,  unless  we  accept  the  reason  Oilman,  in 
"  Goetz  von  Berlichingen, "  gave  for  changing  his 
name  into  Olearius  :  "  to  avoid,"  he  said,  "  theinap- 
propriateness  of  that  name  on  the  title-page  of  my 
Latin  writings."  "  You  did  well  to  translate  it,"  re- 
joins Liebetraut ;  "  a  prophet  is  without  honor  in  his 
own  country,  and  it  might  have  fared  even  so  with 
your  name  in  your  native  tongue."  Olearius  :  "  That 
was  not  the  cause."  Liebetraut  :  "  Everything  has 
two  reasons." 

It  appears  from  this  that  in  Goethe's  youth  the 
Latinizing  of  proper  names  was  getting  to  be  laughed 
at,  and  made  a  subject  for  jest  and  merriment. 

Her  father  was  the  Councillor,  Doctor  Johann 
Wolfgang  Textor,  later  on  Chief  Magistrate  of 
Frankfort.  From  him  Goethe  got  his  two  Christian 
names,  and  he  gives  a  graphic  picture  of  him  in  his 
Autobiography.  He  lived  in  an  old  house,  with  a 
large  old-fashioned  garden,  where  he  passed  much  of 
the  time  which  was  not  taken  up  by  his  duties  as 
magistrate.  He  attended  with  his  own  hand  to  the 
culture  of  the  finer  fruits  and  flowers,  and  grafted  the 


xx  ii  Introduction. 

roses,  for  which  he  put  on  the  ancient  gloves  which 
were  yearly  presented  to  him  at  the  Piper's  Court. 
Goethe  says  one  day  like  another  passed  placidly 
along,  and  he  never  remembered  to  have  seen  his 
grandfather  angry.  The  old  gentleman  was  also 
gifted  with  prophecy  :  he  saw  in  dreams  what  was 
to  happen  to  himself.  When  he  was  junior  council- 
lor he  dreamed  that  he  should  soon  be  alderman  ; 
and  it  was  not  long  before  an  alderman  died  of  apo- 
plexy, and  Textor  was  promoted  to  the  alderman's 
bench.  He  also  foretold  his  elevation  to  the  chief 
magistracy.  When  a  Chief  Magistrate  died,  the 
election  of  his  successor  was  always  made  with  as 
little  delay  as  possible,  for  fear  that  the  Emperor 
should  assert  his  former  right  to  appoint  this  officer. 
On  the  occasion  when  Textor  was  chosen,  a  messen- 
ger was  sent  round  at  midnight  to  give  notice  of  an 
extraordinary  session,  and,  as  his  lantern  was  going 
out,  he  asked  for  a  candle's  end.  "  Give  him  a 
whole  one,"  said  Textor  ;  "  after  all,  he  has  all  this 
trouble  on  my  account."  The  election  was  not  de- 
cided by  votes,  but  by  drawing  balls  from  a  bag. 
Each  candidate  had  his  representative  to  draw  for 
him,  and  their  precedence  was  settled  by  lot.  It  so 
happened,  on  this  occasion,  that  there  were  three 
candidates,  and  Textor's  representative  was  by  the 
lot  made  third  and  last  ;  but,  as  luck  would  have  it, 
the  first  two  drew  each  a  silver  ball,  leaving  the  gold- 
en one  at  the  bottom  of  the  bag  for  Textor. 

Of  the  wife  of  this  worthy  old  gentlemen  we  know 
nothing.  Her  grandson  makes  no  mention  of  her  in 
his  Autobiography,  except  that  she  was  the  confi- 
dant of  her  husband's  dreams.  Yet,  on  looking  at 


In  troduction.  x  x  i  i  i 

her  portrait,  one  finds  that  in  personal  appearance 
her  daughter,  and  especially  her  grandson,  so  much 
resembled  her  that  one  cannot  help  supposing  that 
they  must  have  inherited  from  her  many  traits  of 
character.  Certainly,  neither  of  them  had  much  of 
the  old  Councillor's  lake-like  placidity,  and  in  his  old 
age  the  resemblance  of  Goethe  to  his  grandmother 
Textor  is  very  striking. 

We  can  readily  imagine  that  the  daughter  led  an 
uneventful  life  in  this  antiquated  dwelling,  with  its 
peaceful  garden,  where  one  day  was  like  another.  We 
know  nothing  of  her  until,  in  her  eighteenth  year, 
her  hand  is  asked  in  marriage  by  the  Imperial  Coun- 
cillor, John  Caspar  Goethe,  whose  suit  was  favorably 
received  by  her  parents. 

Rath  Goethe,  then  in  his  thirty-ninth  year,  lived 
with  his  mother,  the  widow  of  Frederick  George 
Goethe,  in  a  large  house  in  the  Hirschgraben.  The 
widow  Goethe  was  wealthy,  and  had  spared  no  pains 
on  the  education  of  her  son,  who  had  taken  his  de- 
gree of  Doctor  Juris,  had  travelled  in  Italy  (a  distinc- 
tion in  those  days),  and  passed  for  a  man  learned  in 
the  law,  and  for  a  connoisseur  in  the  fine  arts. 

The  sentiments  of  Fraulein  Textor,  on  leaving 
her  father's  house  as  the  wife  of  Rath  Goethe,  on 
the  2Oth  of  August,  1748,  were  probably  those  of  filial 
duty  toward  her  parents,  and  of  esteem  toward  the 
husband  of  their  choice  :  nothing  further  was  asked 
or  expected  of  her.  The  first  year  of  her  married 
life  she  may  be  said  to  have  been  at  school  ;  for  her 
husband,  having  no  outlet  for  the  knowledge  with 
which  he  had  been  crammed,  and  being  of  a  very 
didactic  turn  of  mind,  seized  upon  her  as  a  godsend, 


xxiv  Introduction. 

and  set  her  all  manner  of  tasks.  She  was  kept  busy 
with  languages,  composition,  and  music,  and  she  only 
escaped  from  school  by  becoming  a  mother. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1749,  was  born  the  son, 
Johann  Wolfgang,  who  was  to  make  her  one  of  the 
happiest  of  mothers. 

'  The  bed  in  which  your  mother  brought  you  into 
the  world,"  writes  Bettina  to  Goethe  (the  transla- 
tion, too,  is  hers),  "  had  blue  checkered  hangings. 
She  was  then  seventeen*  years  old,  and  one  year 
married  ;  hereupon  she  remarked  you  would  always 
remain  young,  and  your  heart  would  never  become 
old,  since  you  had  the  youth  of  your  mother  into 
the  bargain.  Three  days  did  you  consider  about  it 
before  you  entered  the  world,  and  caused  your 
mother  heavy  hours.  Through  anger  that  necessity 
had  driven  you  from  your  nature-Jiome,  and  through 
the  ill-treatment  of  the  midwife,  you  appeared  quite 
black,  and  without  sign  of  life.  They  laid  you  in  a 
butcher's  tray,  and  bathed  the  pit  of  your  heart  with 
wine,  quite  despairing  of  your  existence.  Your  grand- 
mother stood  behind  the  bed.  When  you  first  opened 
your  eyes,  she  exclaimed,  '  Daughter,  he  lives ! ' 
'  Then  aivoke  my  maternal  heart,  and  lived  since  then 
in  continual  enthusiasm  to  this  very  hour,1  said  your 
\  mother  to  me  in  her  seventy-seventh  year." 

Several  children,  born  later,  died  in  infancy,  with 
the  exception  of  the  daughter  Cornelia.  She  and 
Wolfgang  grew  up  together,  and  their  mother  with 
them  ;  for  the  difference  in  age  between  herself  and 
her  husband  brought  her  nearer  to  the  children,  and 

*  Eighteen. 


Introditction.  xxv 

she  was  fond  of  saying,  "  My  Wolfgang  and  I  have 
always  held  together,  and  the  reason  is  we  were  both 
young,  and  not  so  far  from  each  other  as  Wolfgang  and 
his  father."  She  stood  between  the  children  and  an 
affectionate  yet  stern  and  exacting  father,  and  in 
this  difficult  position  her  true  education  may  be  said 
to  have  begun.  She  was  the  mediator  and  peace- 
maker, for  which  office  she  was  especially  fitted  by 
her  tact  and  "  mother  wit,"  her  animal  spirits,  and 
her  cheerful  views.  She  possessed  thoroughly,  as 
her  son  said,  and  as  may  be  seen  everywhere  in  her 
letters,  "  the  philosophy  of  a  cheerful  life." 

"  Vom  Vater  hab'  ich  die  Statur 
Des  Lebens  ernstes  Fi'ihren  ; 
Von  Miitterchen  die  Frohnatur 
Die  Lust  zu  fabuliren." 

Thus  wrote  Goethe  of  himself — that  is,  his  stature 
and  the  earnest  conduct  of  life  he  got  from  his  father  ; 
from  dear  little  mother  his  joyous  disposition  and 
love  of  story-telling.  His  mother  was  an  admirable 
story-teller.  To  this  poetic  gift  of  hers  we  shall  find 
constant  allusion  in  the  following  correspondence  ; 
for  instance,  where  Klinger  tells  of  how  he  was 
"  nailed  to  his  chair"  when  listening  to  her  ;  and  in 
many  other  places  which  we  will  not  anticipate. 
While  the  father  gave  his  attention  to  the  serious 
training  of  his  boy's  intellect,  the  mother  cultivated 
his  imagination  and  poetic  feeling  by  the  creations 
of  her  fancy.  "  In  general,"  says  Vichoff,*  "  all  the 
freshness,  the  wit  and  the  humor  we  find  in  Goethe, 
all  the  depth  of  feeling  and  the  poetry,  were  fore- 

*  Vichoff :  "  Goethe's  Leben." 


xxvi  Introduction. 

shadowed  in  his  mother's  character ;  while  from  his 
father  he  had  received  only  a  few  traits  of  character 
of  a  coarser  kind,  if  I  may  so  speak — for  example, 
his  strong  love  of  order,  his  administrative  talent, 
and  the  gravity  he  displayed  in  his  later  years." 

Rath  Goethe  was,  at  first,  very  much  disappointed 
at  the  course  of  life  his  son  chose  He  had  carefully 
educated  him  for  the  law,  and  when  he  returned 
from  the  University  of  Strasburg  with  a  diploma  as 
Doctor  Juris,  his  father  thought  the  fulfilment  of  all 
his  hopes  was  at  hand.  With  a  secretary  for  the 
manual  part  of  the  work,  the  father  and  son  to  put 
their  heads  together  over  the  knotty  points  of  the 
law,  and  with  their  intimate  relations  with  the 
magistracy  of  Frankfort  to  put  them  in  the  way  of 
business,  Rath  Goethe  saw  his  way  to  great  success. 

But  what  born  poet  was  ever  made  into  an 
attorney  ?  The  result  soon  was  that  the  two  silent 
partners  had  to  look  after  the  legal  business,  while 
the  young  attorney  was  writing  "  Goetz  von  Berlich- 
ingen,"  falling  in  love  at  Wetzlar  with  Lotte  Buff, 
and  immortalizing  it  in  the  "  Sorrows  of  Werther"  ; 
in  short,  was  becoming  all  at  once  not  only  a  famous 
and  popular  writer,  but  an  epoch-maker  in  the  litera- 
ture of  his  country.  Rath  Goethe  was  very  proud 
of  his  son's  success,  but  it  distressed  him  to  see  him 
putting  literature  before  law. 

It  was  the  Storm  and  Stress  period  with  Goethe. 
He  wandered  with  his  susceptible  heart  from  Lotte 
to  Maximiliane  Brentano  ;  from  the  pretty  Max  to 
Lili  Schonemann.  He  speaks  of  it  afterward,  in  a 
letter  to  his  mother,  as  a  time  of  confusion  and  per- 
plexity. 


Introduction,  xxvii 

To  distract  the  young  jurist  still  further,  his  newly- 
won  fame  brought  visitors  from  every  quarter  to  see 
the  last  literary  lion  ;  at  length,  among  them,  came 
the  Duke  of  Saxe- Weimar,  whose  visit  was  followed 
by  an  invitation,  which  resulted  in  Goethe's  going 
to  Weimar  to  become  to  the  Duke,  councillor, 
minister,  and  bosom  friend. 

His  father  in  vain  opposed  his  departure,  seeking 
out  all  imaginable  proverbs  and  pithy  sayings  against 
court-life,  to  which  the  son  would  reply  by  as  many 
in  its  favor.  There  was  a  brisk  warfare  of  witty 
epigrams,  but  each  one  remained  firm  in  his  own 
opinion. 

The  disappointment  of  the  father  was  not  shared 
by  the  mother  :  there  was  no  wavering  in  her  faith. 
Ah  !  of  the  many  mothers  who  have  believed  their 
sons  to  have  genius,  how  few  have  found  that  happy 
realization  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  Frau  Rath 
Goethe  ! 

It  is  at  this  point  that  the  following  Correspond- 
ence begins,  with  the  exception  of  the  first  two  letters, 
to  which  we  shall  refer  farther  on.  In  the  early  let- 
ters the  mother  imparts  to  Goethe's  various  youthful 
friends  the  intelligence  which  she  receives  from 
Weimar  ;  then  the  interest  of  the  Weimar  circle  in 
Goethe  is  extended  to  his  mother.  Wieland  and 
the  Duchess  Amalia  write  to  her,  visit  her,  and  vie 
with  each  other  in  their  enthusiasm  about  her  ;  the 
odd  little  maid  of  honor,  von  Gochhausen,  is  de- 
lighted to  be  on  the  same  planet  with  her,  and  so  on. 
But  we  leave  the  letters  to  tell  their  own  story. 

The  first  two  letters  in  the  chronological  order  are 
to  Lavater,  and  are  important  only  as  showing  the 


xxviii  Introduction. 

deep  impression  made  byLavater  on  Goethe's  moth- 
er— an  impression  which  did  not  widely  differ  from 
that  everywhere  produced  by  this  singular  person- 
age. Tall,  easy,  graceful,  pale,  with  moonshine  in 
his  face  (as  one  of  his  admirers  expressed  it),  a  large 
nose,  and  brilliant  eyes,  his  friend  Hegner  applies  to 
him  the  description  of  Fenelon  by  the  Due  de  St. 
Simon  : 

"  Le  prelat  etait  un  grand  homme  maigre,  bien 
fait,  pale,  avec  un  grand  nez,  des  yeux  dont  le  feu  et 
1'esprit  sortaient  comrne  un  torrent,  et  une  physio- 
nomie  telleque  jen'en  ai  point  vue  qui  y  ressemblat, 
et  qui  nese  pouvait  oublier,  quand  on  nel'auraitvue 
qu'une  fois.  Elle  avait  de  la  gravit6  et  de  la  galan- 
terie,  du  serieux  et  de  la  gaite. " 

In  the  history  of  his  time  Lavater  has  two  parts  to 
play  :  the  one  as  the  author  of  the  "  Fragments  of 
Physiognomy,"  the  other  as  a  pastor  and  earnest 
propagator  of  extreme  evangelical  doctrines,  running 
into  mysticism.  The  interest  excited  by  his  "  Frag- 
ments of  Physiognomy,"  joined  to  the  winning  per- 
sonality of  its  author,  brought  him  into  relations  with 
all  the  thinkers  of  his  day.  But  as  the  "  Fragments 
of  Physiognomy"  remained  always  fragments,  and 
even  the  author  himself  became  at  last  aware 
that  he  was  incapable  of  fulfilling  his  oft-repeated 
promise  of  evolving  from  them  a  systematic  phil- 
osophy, the  interest  in  Lavater  died  out,  except 
among  those  who  sympathized  with  his  religious 
opinions. 

The  second  letter  was  written  while  Goethe  had 
gone  with  the  Counts  Stolberg  to  Switzerland,  and 
in  it  Goethe's  mother  gives  herself  the  title  of  Frau 


M 

JOHANN  CASPAR  LAVATKR. 


Introduction.  xxix 

Aja,  which  she  so  heartily  accepted,  and  by  which 
she  was  known  in  her  circle  of  friends* 

In  regard  to  her  titles,  that  of  Fran  Rath  is  the 
only  one  by  which  she  is  universally  known  in 
Germany.  Frau  Rath  or  Frau  Rathin,  for  the  usage 
varies,  is  the  title  of  a  councillor's  wife  ;  in  literal 
English  it  would  be  Mrs.  Councillor.  Now  there  is 
no  lack  of  councillors'  wives  in  Germany,  but  Frau 
Rath  Goethe  has  impressed  her  bright  image  so 
strongly  upon  the  history  of  German  literature  that 
in  speaking  of  her  no  surname  is  required  :  she  is  the 
Frau  Rath  par  excellence  in  the  heart  of  every  culti- 
vated German. 

The  two  Counts  Stolberg  belonged  to  the  phenom- 
ena of  the  period — young  men  of  rank  and  fortune 
bursting  with  hatred  for  tyrants,  and  boiling  over 
with  enthusiasm  for  freedom.  But  the  tyranny  they 
hated  was  only  the  tyranny  of  custom  and  conven- 
tion, and  the  freedom  they  thirsted  for  was  the  free- 
dom to  follow  what  they  called  the  dictates  of 
Nature.  If  Nature  suggested  that  it  was  desirable  to 
bathe  by  the  wayside,  in  broad  daylight,  they  eager- 
ly followed  her  dictates,  and  they  inveighed  all  the 
more  loudly  against  tyrants  when  certain  rude  min- 
ions of  conventionalism  assailed  them  with  stones 
and  drove  them  ignominiously  away. 

Some  years  after  this  the  Stolbergs  went  over  to 
the  Romish  Church — a  simple  instance  ;  it  would 
seem,  of  the  well-known  law,  that  the  farther  the 
pendulum  is  swung  in  one  direction  the  farther  it  will 
swing  in  the  other  ;  yet  this  circumstance  created  in 
Germany  an  excitement  which  at  the  present  dis- 
tance in  time  seems  a  veritable  tempest  in  a  teapot. 


xxx  Introduction. 

Of  the  Stolbergs'  visit  Goethe  says  :  "  We  had 
dined  together  but  a  few  times  before,  enjoying  one 
bottle  after  another,  the  poetical  hatred  of  tyrants 
made  its  appearance,  and  there  was  manifested  a 
thirst  for  the  blood  of  such  villains.  My  father  smil- 
ingly shook  his  head  ;  my  mother  had  scarcely  in  her 
life  heard  of  tyrants  ;  however,  she  called  to  mind 
having  seen  such  monsters  represented  among  the 
copperplates  in  Gottfried's  Chronicles — for  example, 
King  Cambyses  triumphing  in  the  father's  presence 
at  having  hit  the  son's  heart  with  his  arrow  :  this 
had  still  remained  in  her  memory.  To  turn  these 
and  similar  expressions,  which  were  becoming  con- 
tinually more  violent,  back  to  something  more  cheer- 
ful, she  betook  herself  to  the  cellar,  where  were 
deposited  large  well-cared-for  tuns  of  the  oldest 
wines.  There  were  to  be  found  there  the  vintages  of 
1706-19-28-48,  which  she  had  herself  watched  and 
tended,  and  which  were  but  seldom  broached  except 
on  solemn  and  important  occasions.  As  she  now  set 
out  the  high-colored  wine  in  a  cut-glass  decanter,  she 
exclaimed,  '  Here  is  the  true  tyrants'  blood  !  Re- 
joice yourselves  in  it  ;  but  banish  all  murderous 
thoughts  from  my  house.'  ' 

This  scene  is  so  similar  to  one  in  the  "  Legend  of 
the  Four  Children  of  Aymon,"  that  it  gives  the  clew 
to  the  Frau  Rath's  title,  Frau  Aja.  The  original 
Frau  Aja  was,  according  to  the  legend,  the  sister  of 
the  Emperor  Charlemagne,  a  personage  whose  deep 
impress  upon  his  times  is  shown  by  the  part  he  plays 
in  so  many  legends.  Frau  Aja  was  the  wife  of  Count 
Aymon,  and  the  mother  of  four  sons.  One  of  the 
sons  kills  in  a  quarrel  the  son  of  the  Emperor,  and 


Introduction.  xxxi 

flies  with  his  three  brothers  to  the  forest  of  Ar- 
dennes. The  Emperor  pursues  them  in  vain,  but  takes 
Aymon  prisoner,  and  compels  him  to  an  oath  to  de- 
liver up  his  sons,  should  they  fall  into  his  hands. 
After  many  adventures  and  many  years'  absence,  the 
four  brothers  are  seized  with  a  desire  to  revist  their 
home,  but  are  afraid  to  present  themselves,  on  ac- 
count of  their  father's  oath.  They  therefore  compel 
some  pilgrims  they  meet  to  change  clothes  with  them, 
and,  appearing  before  the  castle  gate  as  pilgrims  re- 
turning from  Rome,  beg  for  shelter  and  food.  Frau 
Aja  says,  "  Be  content  and  of  good  cheer  and  I  will 
give  it  you,"  and  seated  them  at  a  table  and  gave 
them  to  eat  and  to  drink.  So  they  ate  and  drank 
and  made  merry  ;  at  last  Frau  Aja  went  into  the 
cellar,  and,  bringing  up  some  of  the  best  wine,  poured 
out  a  silver  cup  full  and  gave  it  to  Reinold.  In  the 
end  the  mother  recognizes  them,  and  so  on  ;  but  with 
the  rest  of  the  legend  we  have  nothing  to  do  :  it  is 
only  the  similarity  of  this  scene  with  the  action  of 
the  Frau  Rath  in  bringing  the  wine  from  the  cellar 
which  here  concerns  us.  No  doubt  it  recalled  so 
vividly  the  scene  in  the  legend,  very  well  known  in 
Germany,  that  the  joyous  group  hailed  her  at  once  as 
Frau  Aja.* 

*  Compare  DUntzer :  "  Frauenbilder,"  page  456,  and  following. 


INDEX  TO  LETTERS. 

FROM  THE  FRAU  RATH  TO 

Duchess  Anna  Amalia  of  Saxe-Weimar — Nos.  25,  42,  45,  46,  53. 
Rath  Crespel — Nos.  7,  8. 

Goethe — Nos.  69,  104,   108,  109,  no,   in,   112,  113,   114,  115, 
117,  118,  123,  124,  125,  126,  128,  131,  132. 

Goethe's  Son,  Augustus — No.  129. 
Fraulein  von  Gochhausen — No.  15. 
To  her  Grandchildren — Nos.  66,  88,  99. 
Lavater — Nos.  I,  2,  9,  10,  16,  17,  24,  38,  43,  68. 
Merck — No.  44. 
Salzmann — No.  5. 

Louisa  Schlosser,  afterward  Nicolovius — Nos.  90,  96,  97,  102, 
103,  105,  106,  107. 

Schonborn — No.  4. 

Frau  von  Stein — Nos.  63,  71. 

Friedrich  von  Stein — Nos.  47,  48,  50,  51,  52,  54,  55,  56,  57,  62, 
64,  65,  67,  70,  72,  73,  87,  91,  92,  94,  95. 

Unzelmann — Nos.  74,  75,  76,  77,  78,  79,  80,  81,  82,  83,  84,  85, 
86,  89,  93,  100. 

Christiane  Vulpius,  afterward  Goethe's  wife — Nos.   116,   122, 
127,  130. 

Wieland — No.  21. 


xxx iv  Index  to  Letters. 

To  THE  FRAU  RATH  FROM 

Duchess  Anna  Amalia  of  Saxe-Weimar — Nos.   20,  27,  35,  36, 

39,  4i,  49- 

August,  Prince  of  Saxe-Gotha— No.  101. 
Duke  Carl  August  of  Saxe-Weimar — Nos.  32,  34. 
Duke  George  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz — No.  121. 
Goethe — Nos.  30,  31,  37,  61,  98,  120,  and  p.  141. 
Fraulein  von  Gochhausen — Nos.  19,  26,  28,  40. 
Klinger — No.  119. 
Friedrich  von  Stein — No.  60. 
Wieland— Nos.  6,  n,  12,  13,  14,  18,  22,  33,  and  p.  84. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Duchess  Anna  Amalia  of  Saxe-Weimar  to  J.  H.  Merck — No.  29 
and  p.  69. 

Goethe  to  Friedrich  von  Stein — Nos.  58,  59. 

Goethe's  Father  to  Schonborn — No.  4. 

Klinger  to  Kayser — No.  3. 

Merck  to  Wieland — No.  21. 

Merck  to  his  Wife — p.  75. 

Wieland  to  Gleim — p.  68. 

Wieland  to  Merck — No.  23  and  pp.  85,  100. 


GOETHE'S    MOTHER. 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRAU  RATH. 


I.  Frau  Rath  to  John  Caspar  Lavater. 

TUESDAY,  the  2d  Aug.,  1774. 

A  thousand  thanks,  once  more,  dear,  good  son,  for 
your  stay  with  us.  I  could  not  take  leave  ;  my  heart 
was  too  full.  Never,  never  shall  I  lose  your  image 
from  my  heart.  Farewell.  God  Almighty  bless  you, 
accompany  you  in  all  your  ways,  and  bring  you 
sound  and  well  to  your  destination.  Oh,  do  not  for- 
get us,  dear,  dear  Lavater.  I  must  leave  off,  and 
must  weep  * — my  house  is  so  lonely  to  me,  as  quiet 
as  the  grave.  Once  more,  farewell. 

CATHARINA  ELISABETHA  GOETHE. 

2.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

FRANKFORT,  the  28  June  (1775). 

Here  is  the  promised  music  ;  may  it  give  you 
much  pleasure.  You  will  have  received  my  letter  of 
the  26th, f  and  I  await  eagerly  a  reply. 

Greet  the  Counts  and  the  dear  Baron, £  and  say 
I  have  trusted  my  Wolfgang  to  them,  and  thank 
them  for  all  the  love  they  have  shown  toward  him  ; 

*  The  reader  will  call  to  mind  that  facility  for  shedding  tears, 
which  was  a  characteristic  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
\  Missing. 
$  Counts  Stolberg  and  Baron  Haugwitz. 


24  Goetkes  Mother. 

yet  I  now  beg  them  to  send  him  back  to  us,  for  time 
hangs  very  heavily  on  Frau  Aja.  Many  greetings 
from  us  to  all  friends.  Vale. 


3.  Portion  of  a  Letter  from  K linger  to  Kayser* 

GlESSEN,  2d  Whitsuntide  Holiday  (27  May,  1776). 

.  .  Yesterday  I  had  a  letter  from  Goethe's 
dear  mother,  from  whom  I  often  learn  something 
about  Goethe ;  and  I  cannot  forbear  telling  thee  in  a 
few  lines  what  the  good  woman  writes.  Here  are  her 
own  words  !  I  believe  it  will  impress  thee  anew,  as 
many  hundred  times  as  thou  mayest  have  heard  it. 

'  The  Doctor  is  delighted  and  well  in  his  Weimar  ; 
has  moved  to  a  charming  garden,  belonging  to  the 
Duke,  just  outside  the  town.  Lenz  has  written  a 
poetic  description  of  it,  and  sent  it  to  me  to  read. 
The  poet  (Lenz)  also  sticks  there  as  if  he  were  nailed 
to  the  spot.  Weimar  must  be  a  difficult  place  to  get 
away  from  :  everybody  stays  there.  Well,  if  it 
pleases  the  little  flock,  may  God  bless  it  to  them. 
Now,  dear  friend,  farewell,  as  well  as  it  admits  of  in 
Giessen.  I  always  think  to  you  poets  it  would  be 
a  trifle  to  idealize  even  the  worst  places.  If  you 
can  make  something  out  of  nothing,  the  evil  one 
must  be  in  it,t  if  a  fairy  town  were  not  to  be  made 

*  Philip  Christopher  Kayser,  son  of  an  organist  at  Frankfort, 
established  himself  as  a  musician  at  Zurich.  He  wrote  an  over- 
ture to  Egmont,  and  the  music  to  some  of  Goethe's  operatic  trifles. 

f  "  So  miisst  es  doch  mit  dem  Sei-bei-uns  zugehen."  Sei-bei- 
uns  or  Gott  sei-bei-uns  (God  be  with  us),  from  being  used  as  a 
phrase  to  arrest  the  evil  one,  came,  by  circumlocution,  to  mean  the 
evil  one  himself. 


Letter  from  K linger  to  Kayser.         25 

out  of  Giessen.  In  such  things,  I,  at  least,  have  great 
power.  A  thousand  pities  that  I  do  not  write 
dramas — the  world  would  see  amazing  wonders  ;  but 
they  would  have  to  be  in  prose.  I  am  no  great  lover 
of  verse-making,  which,  truly,  has  its  reasons.  The 
political  pewterer  had  the  very  same  hatred  of  the 
Latin  language.* 

"  Greet  Schleirm(acher)f  from  us,  and  tell  him  he 
must  not  let  you  come  here  to  the  next  fair  alone, 
and  then,  as  a  matter  of  course,  we  see  you  and  him, 
pass  many  an  hour  in  chat,  relate  all  sorts  of  pretty 
stories,  and  so  on." 

I  leave  out  much  more,  which  concerns  my  author- 
ship, etc.  I  thought  it  would  give  thee  pleasure, 
and  thou  wills't  keep  it  secret.  Thou  dost  not 
imagine  what  a  woman  she  is,  and  what  I  possess 
in  her.  How  many  hours  of  intimacy  have  I  passed 
with  her,  nailed  to  my  chair,  listening  to  stories — I 
cannot  write  thee  about  it.  ...  K. 


Klinger  and  Lenz,  two  friends  of  Goethe's  youth, 
followed  him  to  Weimar,  as  meteors  are  drawn  by 
the  planet  within  whose  influence  they  come.  Lenz, 
who,  when  he  was  not  actually  treated  as  insane,  was 
always  hovering  on  the  borders  of  insanity,  "  played 
regularly  every  day  some  foolish  trick"  (as  Wieland 
said),  "  and  then  wondered  over  it  as  a  goose  that 


*  i.e.  Because  he  was  ignorant  of  it.  The  allusion  is  to  "  Der 
politische  Kannengiesser,"  a  very  popular  farce  of  the  day,  by  Hoi- 
berg,  a  Danish  author,  translated  into  German  by  OehlenschlSger. 

f  A  college  friend  of  Klinger. 


26  Goethes  Mother. 

has  laid  an  egg."  In  the  end,  he  gave  such  serious 
offence  as  to  make  his  further  stay  impossible. 

Klinger's  stay  was  short.  A  certain  proud  self- 
assertion  and  unbending  angularity,  which  had  been 
heightened  by  his  constant  struggle  with  poverty, 
unfitted  him  for  the  Weimar  circle.  He  undertook 
the  direction  of  a  theatre  at  Leipzig,  then  served  as 
a  lieutenant  in  the  Austrian  service,  during  the  war 
of  the  Bavarian  succession — a  war  of  short  duration 
— after  which  his  friends  applied  to  Dr.  Franklin  in 
the  hope  of  getting  him  a  commission  in  the  Ameri- 
can army  in  the  War  of  Independence.  This  appli- 
cation was  unsuccessful,  and  Klinger  eventually 
went  to  Russia,  where  his  sterling  qualities  found  at 
length  an  appropriate  sphere  of  action.  He  was  ap- 
pointed reader  to  the  Grand  Duke  Paul,  and  as 
everything  was  on  a  military  basis,  received  the  rank 
of  lieutenant  in  the  marine  battalion.  He  accom- 
panied this  prince  on  a  journey  of  fourteen  months 
to  Switzerland,  Italy,  and  France.  During  this  jour- 
ney they  visited  the  Duke  of  Wurtemberg,  and  the 
illuminations  in  honor  of  the  Grand  Duke  served 
at  the  same  time  to  light  young  Doctor  Schiller  in 
his  flight  from  a  country  where  he  was  forbidden  to 
use  his  pen  except  in  writing  prescriptions. 

There  are  many  romantic  incidents  in  Klinger's  life. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  wood-sawyer,  and  his  mother 
was  a  laundress,  combining  with  this  a  little  shop  for 
wood  and  coals.  One  day,  when  he  was  assisting  his 
father  in  the  delivery  of  a  load  of  wood,  his  beauty  of 
person  and  his  bright  glances  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  director  of  the  grammar-school.  Struck  with 
the  intelligent  replies  to  his  questions,  the  director 


Letter  from  Klinger  to  Kayser.         2  7 

procured  his  admission  to  the  grammar-school,  and 
provided  for  his  education. 

When  Klinger  revisited  Frankfort  with  the  Grand 
Duke  Paul,  he  dressed  himself  in  the  full  uniform 
of  his  military  rank,  and  presented  himself  in  his 
mother's  humble  shop.  But  he  could  not  persuade 
his  mother,  now  a  widow,  to  share  his  fortunes  ;  she 
would  only  consent  to  accept  a  modest  pension,  with 
the  condition  that  she  might  continue  her  small 
commerce  in  fuel. 

On  his  return  to  Russia,  Klinger  married  a  lady  of 
rank,  and  was  made  Curator  of  the  University  of 
Dorpat,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-general.  He 
died  at  St.  Petersburg  in  1831,  in  his  seventy- 
seventh  year. 

Falk  *  gives  the  following  anecdote  of  Klinger  as 
related  to  him  by  a  friend  : 

"  One  morning  Klinger  went  to  Goethe,  took  a 
large  parcel  of  manuscript  out  of  his  pocket,  and  be- 
gan to  read  aloud.  Goethe  bore  it  for  a  time  ;  but 
at  length,  exclaiming,  'What  cursed  stuff  is  this 
thou  hast  again  been  writing  ?  The  devil  may  bear 
it  if  he  can  !  '  he  sprang  from  his  seat  and  ran  away. 
This,  however,  did  not  in  the  least  disconcert  Kling- 
er, nor  disturb  his  equanimity.  He  rose  quietly,  put 
his  manuscript  in  his  pocket,  and  merely  said, 
'  Curious  :  this  is  the  second  person  with  whom  this 
has  happened  to  me  to-day."  Wieland  declared  that 
if  it  had  been  his  case,  he  should  have  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  preserve  such  composure.  Goethe  tranquilly 


*  "Goethe  Portrayed    from     Familiar   Personal    Intercourse." 
Translated  by  Sarah  Austin  in  her  "  Characteristics  of  Goethe." 


28  Goethe's  Mother. 

replied,  '  So  should  I ;  but  you  can  see  from  it  that 
Klinger  was  born  out  and  out  for  a  general,  because 
he  has  such  confounded  assurance.  I  predicted  it 
to  you  in  those  very  days. 

Klinger  first  attracted  attention  by  his  play  The 
Twins  (Die  Zwillinge).  A  prize  had  been  offered  for 
an  original  drama,  and  Klinger  won  it  with  this  fiery 
production.  This  play,  with  the  Sturm  und  Drang 
(Storm  and  Stress] — which  gave  a  name  to  the  lit- 
erary epoch — roused  all  passions,  and  both  rank 
among  the  forerunners  of  the  romantic  school. 
Klinger  was  all  his  life  a  voluminous  writer,  but  he 
abandoned  the  drama  for  essays  and  novels.  At  the 
close  of  life  he  expressed  his  obligations  to  Goethe 
and  George  Schlosser  for  the  advice  he  often  received 
from  them. 

A  high  moral  tone  ;  a  spirit  busied  with  high 
and  noble  thoughts  ;  a  vigorous,  manly  intellect  and 
character  ;  simple  habits  ;  enjoyment  in  a  moderate 
way  of  living  ;  perfect  ignorance  of  the  passion  for 
happiness-hunting — who  had  ever  thought  of  re- 
quiring these  qualities  in  a  poet  ?  In  his  "  Observa- 
tions and  Thoughts  on  Various  Subjects  Connected 
with  the  World  and  Literature/'*  he  explains  how 
such  a  theory  arose  in  his  mind  ;  how,  first,  the  actual 
world  presented  itself  to  his  mind's  eye  only  through 
a  poetic  veil— this  is  the  Storm  and  Stress  period- 
then  how  the  poetic  world  was  shaken  to  its  founda- 
tions by  the  actual  one  ;  and  how,  at  last,  it  gained 
the  victory,  because  the  self-sustained  moral  sense 


*  "  Betrachtungen   und  Gedanken   liber  verschiedene  Gegen- 
stSnde  der  Welt  und  Literatur." 


Goethes  Parents  to  Sch'onborn.  29 

diffused  light  through  the  darkness  which  threatened 
to  enshroud  the  poet's  mind. 

These  views  he  also  expressed  in  a  series  of 
novels,  of  which  the  "  Man  of  the  World  and  the 
Poet"  is  considered  the  best.* 

There  is  a  tradition  that  Kliuger  was  born  in  a 
part  of  Goethe's  father's  house.  Dr.  Otto  Volger, 
who  has  in  late  years  investigated,  with  German 
assiduity,  the  history  of  that  house,  denies  that 
there  are  any  associations  with  Klinger.  Goethe, 
however,  accepted  the  tradition,  and  embalmed  it  in 
verse.  A  few  years  before  his  death  he  sent  Kling- 
er a  sketch  of  the  house,  accompanied  by  a  short 
poem.  He  reminds  Klinger  that  he  had  taken  the 
wanderer's  staff  and  gone  into  a  far  country  and 
attained  a  lofty  position.  "  From  this  goal,  will  it 
not  please  you  to  look  back  to  your  first  step  ?  from 
the  same  threshold  we  set  forth  on  very  different 
paths. 

Eine  Schwelle  hiess  in's  Leben, 

Uns  verschiedne  Wege  gehn  ; 

War  es  doch  zu  edlem  Streben 

Drum  auf  frohes  Wiedersehn." 

4.   GoctJie^s  Parents  to  ScJionborn,   Secretary  to  the 
Danish  Consulate  at  Algiers. 

FRANKFORT-ON-MAIN,  24th  July,  1776. 

Your  friendly  letter  to  our  son,  dated  Algiers,  the 

28th  October,  1775,  containing  in  particular  a  succinct 

account  of  the  Spanish  coup  manque",  duly  reached 

here  about  six  weeks  after,  and  it  is  not  his  fault 

*  Mrs.  Austin,  "  Characteristics  of  Goethe." 


30  Goethe's  Mother. 

that  it  has,  until  now,  remained  unanswered.  He 
had  already  left  us,  and  we  had  to  send  it  after  him 
to  Weimar,  where  he  still  is.  I  must  tell  you  how  all 
this  came  to  pass,  as  everything,  estimable  friend, 
which  concerns  this  singular  being  *  must  be  of  in- 
terest to  you.  I  begin  at  the  origin  of  his  present 
relations.  The  Duke  of  Weimar  became  acquainted 
with  him  two  years  ago,  and  was  so  favorably  im- 
pressed that,  when  the  Duke  returned  to  Frankfort 
from  Durlach,  where  he  had  married  the  Princess 
Louise  of  Darmstadt,  our  son  was  formally  invited 
to  Weimar  by  this  young  ducal  pair,  whither  he 
soon  after  followed  them.  He  remained  there  last 
winter,  as  guest,  and  entertained  the  Court  by  read- 
ing to  them  his  unprinted  works,  introduced  skating 
and  other  agreeable  pursuits,  by  which  he  made 
them  his  friends,  as  well  as  many  exalted  and  distin- 
guished persons  in  the  neighborhood.  But  the  bet- 
ter acquainted  the  Duke  became  with  the  Doctor,  the 
less  could  he  spare  him.  He  tested  his  capabilities, 
which  he  found  of  such  a  nature  that  he  at  length 
appointed  him  Geheim  Legations  Rath  (Privy  Coun- 
cillor) with  a  seat  and  vote  in  the  Privy  Council,  and 
a  salary  of  1200  thalers.  There,  now,  sits  the  poet, 
and  accommodates  himself  the  best  way  he  can  to 
his  position.  There  let  him  sit  ;  and  we,  on  account 
of  his  official  occupations,  will  replace  and  repre- 
sent him  in  this  correspondence.  You  shall  learn 
further  details  about  him,  and  also  receive  his  minor 
writings,  old  friend  ;  of  which  with  the  inclosed  we 
make  a  beginning.  One  thing  more  :  as  the  Duke  of 

*  "Diesen  singularen  Menschen." 


GOETHE'S  FATHER,  JOHANN  CASPAR  GOETHE, 
From  Lavater's  "  Physiognomy" 


Parents  to  Schonborn.          31 

Weimar  not  only  values  intelligent  men,  but  also 
rewards  them  according  to  their  merit,  his  capital 
must  soon  be  a  meeting-place  for  many  men  of  tal- 
ent ;  for  instance,  one  of  the  Counts  Stolberg  has 
been  made  Chamberlain,  and  will  soon  repair 
thither.*  Herder  appears  as  General  Superintend- 
ent^ and  Lenz  has  already  been  there  several 
months.  But  what  will  most  astonish  you  is  that 
the  Doctor  is  reconciled  with  Wieland,  and  lives  with 
him  on  the  friendliest  footing  ;  and  this  comes  from 
his  heart.  As  to  what  concerns  Hofr.  (Court 
Councillor)  Schlosser  \.  in  Emmendingen,  he  is  over 
head  and  ears  in  publications,  some  portions  of 
which  do  not  please  in  the  least  the  dogmatic  theo- 
logians ;  so  that  those  black  men  with  white  collars 
found  the  second  part  of  his  village  catechism  not  in 
accordance  with  their  dogmatic  way  of  thinking,  and 
therefore  stirred  up  the  secular  arm  to  confiscate  it. 
He  has  recently  brought  out  his  "  Anti-Pope."  § 

Hactenus  Goethe  Pater. 

Dear  good  friend  !  you  must  also  have  a  little  word 
from  me  ;  you  must  learn,  too,  that  I  am  still  living, 
think  oft,  oft  of  you  ;  always  would  be  glad  to  know 
what  our  friend  Schonborn  is  about  in  Algiers,  etc. 
You  doubtless  remember  that  nearly  three  years  have 
flown  by  since  we  were  so  happy,  eating  grapes  to- 
gether. It  seems  to  me  you  have  been  long  enough 
in  Barbary,  have  seen  enough  veiled  people  ;  and 

*  Stolberg  was  dissuaded  from  going  by  Klopstock.     See  the 
singular  correspondence  in  Lewes'  "Life  of  Goethe." 
f  A  high  dignitary  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 
\  The  husband  of  his  daughter  Cornelia. 
§  Anti-Pope.     A  reply  to  the  Essay  on  Man. 


32  Goethes  Mother. 

therefore  my  advice,  which  my  friendly  heart  gives 
you,  is  this,  that  you  soon  come  back  to  us.  It  was 
always  my  delight  to  have  distinguished  men  with 
and  about  me  ;*  but  in  my  present  situation  (since 
both  my  children  are  far,  far  distant  from  me)  it  is  a 
heavenly  pleasure.  Take  my  advice  and  come,  the 
sooner  the  better  ;  it  will  be  good  for  you.  What 
shall  we  not  have  to  relate  to  each  other :  we  need 
not  fear  dulness.  I  possess  a  store  of  anecdotes, 
stories,  etc.,  so  that  I  will  be  bound  to  talk  eight 
days  continuously,  and  when  you,  too,  begin — about 
lakes  and  seas,  cities  and  villages,  men  and  mon- 
sters, elephants  and  snakes — that  will  be  a  gaudium. 
Farewell,  wishes  you,  your  very  particular  friend, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 


The  difficulty  with  Wieland  alluded  to,  if  there 
ever  was  any,  is  certainly  here  much  exaggerated. 
Goethe  had  written,  one  Sunday  afternoon,  over  a 
bottle  of  Burgundy,  a  farce  to  which  he  gave  the 
title  Goiter,  Helden  und  Wieland  (Gods,  Heroes  and 
Wieland].  The  farce  was  directed  against  what  he 
considered  Wieland 's  unworthy  vulgarization  of  the 
Grecian  gods  and  heroes.  Wieland  wrote  the  follow- 
ing good-natured  notice  of  it  for  his  monthly  paper, 
the  Deutsche  Mercur. 

"  Dr.  Goethe,  the  author  of  this  little  work,  after 
having  shown  us  in  his  Goetz  von  Berlichingen 

"  Es  war  fiir  mich  jederzeit  eine  Wollust  grosse  Menschen 
um  und  bey  mir  zu  haben." 

("  Es  1st  eine  Wollust  einengrossen  Mann  zu  sehen."  Brother 
Martin  in  Goetz  von  Berlichingen.) 


Frail  Rath  to  Salzmann.  33 

that  he  might  be  Shakespeare  if  he  wished,  has 
proved  to  us  in  this  heroic-farcical  pasquinade  that 
if  he  wished,  he  might  also  be  Aristophanes.  For 
just  as  it  has  pleased  him  in  this  critical  Worexekek 
Koax  Koax  to  make  sport  of  Wieland  and  Wie- 
land's  Alceste,  so  did  Aristophanes  with  this  self- 
same Euripides,  whom  Herr  Goethe  here  makes  walk 
over  the  head  of  the  author  of  the  opera  Alceste. 
We  recommend  this  little  book  to  all  admirers  of  the 
pasquinade  style  as  a  masterpiece  of  persiflage  and 
sophistical  wit,  which,  out  of  all  possible  points  of 
view,  carefully  chooses  that  one  from  which  the  ob- 
ject must  appear  crooked,  and  then  makes  itself  right 
heartily  merry  because  the  thing  is  so  crooked.'' 

Goethe,  after  reading  the  above,  wrote  to  Frau  von 
La  Roche,  "  He  treats  the  matter  like  a  good  fellow, 
who  feels  that  he  sits  firm  in  the  saddle.  I  have 
never  had  anything  against  him,  and  now  I  forgive 
him  for  his  blasphemy  against  my  gods." 

5.  Fran  Rath  to  Salzmann* 

We  heard  yesterday  a  great  deal  that  is  pleasant 
and  good  from  our  son.  I  am  convinced  that  you 
will  rejoice  in  our  joys  ;  you,  so  old  a  friend  and 
acquaintance  of  the  Doctor,  must  take  a  deep  in- 
terest in  his  good  fortune,  and  can,  as  a  friend  of 
man,  feel,  when  the  Psalmist  says,  "  Wohl  dem  der 
Freude  an  seinen  Kindern  erlebt  !"  (Blessed  is  he 
who  lives  to  have  joy  in  his  children), f  how  grateful 

*  A  Strassburg  friend  of  Goethe's. 

f  The  sentence  "  Wohl  dem  der  Freude  an  seinen  Kindern  er- 
lebt," is  inscribed  on  the  Sophienducaten,  gold  ducats  struck  in 


34  Goethe's  Mother. 

all  this  must  be  to  his  parents.  God  guide  him 
further,  and  cause  him  to  accomplish  much  good  in 
the  land  of  Weimar  !  I  am  sure,  you  will  say,  with 
us,  Amen. 

6.   Christopher  Martin   Wieland  to  Frau  Rath. 

DEAR  MOTHER  AjA  :  It  gave  me  great  pleasure 
to  get  once  more  a  note  from  your  dear  hand. 
Brother  Merlin,*  the  conjurer,  or  his  faithful  shield- 
bearer  and  confidential  secretary  f  will  in  the  mean- 
time have  informed  you  how  he  is.  They  have  all 
returned  safely,  and  improved,  as  I  think,  in  soul 
and  body,  from  Dessau,  where  a  prince  and  princess 
are  to  be  seen  from  whom  no  one  who  has  been 
with  them  willingly  parts. 

It  is  the  greatest  kindness  of  you,  dearest  mother, 
and  of  aunt  \  that  you  should  interest  yourselves  so 
much  for  that  milk-soppy  fellow,  Gandalin.  But 
since  for  once  this  is  the  case,  I  should  be  glad  to 
hear  how  the  end  of  the  song  in  the  last  book  pleased 
you,  and  if  you  are  now  content  (since  from  the  way 
in  which  you  made  known  to  me  your  apprehension, 

1616,  by  the  order  of  the  Electress  Sophia  of  Saxony,  on  the  birth 
of  her  grandson.  These  coins  are  much  sought  after  as  presents  at 
christenings,  on  account  of  the  appropriateness  of  the  motto.  The 
Frau  Rath  falls  into  a  common  error  in  attributing  it  to  the  Psalm- 
ist. The  nearest  passage  corresponding  to  it  is  in  the  Apocrypha, 
Ecclesiasticus  3:  6.  "Wer  seinen  Vater  ehrt,  der  wird  auch 
Freude  an  seinen  Kindern  haben  ;"  in  the  English  version,  "  He 
that  honoreth  his  father  shall  have  joy  in  his  own  children." 

*  Goethe. 

f  Philip  Seidel,  a  servant  Goethe  took  with  him  from  his 
father's  house,  and  who  remained  with  him  all  his  life. 

\  Johanna  Fahlmer.     See  note  at  the  end  of  this  letter. 


C.  J/.  }\'i eland  to  Frau  Ratli.  35 

that  the  young  fellow  might,  in  the  Vlllth  book, 
become  unfaithful,  one  might  almost  conclude  that 
the  denouement  was  by  you  quite  unforeseen)  this 
would,  justly  give  me  great  pleasure. 

The  new  year  17/7  we  shall  begin  a  little  song  in 
entirely  another  strain  from  all  we  have  ever  sung  to 
you  or  played  on  the  lyre.  My  heart  predicts  to 
me,  dear  Frau  Aja,  that  this  will  please  you  more 
than  Herr  Gandalin,who,  indeed,  seen  by  daylight,  is 
nothing  more  than  a  Carnival  Knight. 

I  was  glad  to  hear  that  Lenz  had  paid  you  a  visit, 
and  had  said  of  us  much  that  was  agreeable  and 
good,  which,  indeed,  he  might  do  with  a  good  con- 
science. This  whimsical  dreamer  vanished  from  here 
in  the  same  way  in  which  he  appeared.  I  did  not 
even  know  where  he  went  or  whence  he  came. 

Liebes  Miitterchen,  if  it  does  not  give  you  too  much 
trouble,  write  me  in  the  closest  confidence  how  my 
cousin  Max  La  Roche  is,  and  how  it  fares  with  her. 
Item,  what  clever  people  among  you  say  to  "  All- 
will's  Papers?"  *  The  author  you  doubtless  know. 
Brother  Wolf  f  and  I  find  no  further  fault  with  it, 
than  that  Brother  Fritz  has  not  had  grace  from 
God  to  make  a  composition  out  of  the  excellent  mate- 
rial which  he  had  before  him.  If  one  hints  to  the 
queer  fellow  anything  of  this  kind,  he  does  not  under- 
stand in  the  least  what  is  said  to  him  ;  he  is,  namely, 
of  the  opinion  that  the  thing  really  is  a  composition— 
that  is  just  the  comical  part  of  the  matter.  Meantime, 
as  it  is,  it  seems  to  me  always  like  a  whole  tableful 
of  boxes  and  jars  mixed  up  together,  in  all  of  which 

*  By  Fritz  Jacobi.  f  Goethe.     Wolf,  for  Wolfgang. 


:>6  Goethe s  Mother. 

O 

there  is  something  one  is  glad  to  have,  and  can  make 
use  Of — ribbons,  laces,  comfits,  bonbons,  rhubarb, 
cure-all  pills,  pomegranate-rinds,  soap-balls,  cobblers' 
wax,  and  God  knows  what  all.  I  see  well  that  the 
simile  does  not  fit,  for  it  is  true  there  are  excellent 
things  in  "  Allwill's  Papers,"  and  his  style  of  writ- 
ing, his  form  of  expression  (setting  aside  the  inequal- 
ities) is  for  the  most  part  so  vivid  and  brilliant,  often 
so  forcible  and  ardent  and  full  of  soul,  that  there  is 
nothing  superior  to  it.  ... 

Now  this  is,  once  more,  what  is  called  old  man's 
gossip  !  Ade,*  dear,  best  mother.  I  shall  soon  be 
no  longer  able  to  hold  out  until  the  time  when  I 
shall  see  you  face  to  face.  Only  I  dread,  in  antici- 
pation, the  parting.  Ah  !  why  cannot  we  all  be 
together  ?  yet  the  time  will  come.  Meanwhile  keep 
for  me,  ever,  a.  good,  warm  little  place  in  your 
motherly  heart.  May  you  be  well,  hearty,  and 
happy  together  in  the  year  1777. 

On  the  last  day  of  1776. 

Your  faithful  son, 

WlELAND. 


One  of  the  first  of  the  Weimar  circle  to  take  pen 
in  hand  to  greet  the  mother  of  his  friend  was  Wie- 
land,  then  near  the  zenith  of  his  fame,  but  destined 
to  be  relegated  to  the  second  rank  in  comparison 
with  Goethe.  Wieland  is  a  rare  instance  of  a  poet 
who  could  contentedly  submit  to  be  outrivalled. 
"  Goethe  et  le  jeune  due,"  writes  Bossert,  "  tom- 

*  Adieu. 


C.  M.  Wieland  to  Frau  Rath.  37 

berent  d'abord  comme  deux  trouble-fete  dans  le 
groupe  elegant  et  doux,  au  milieu  duquel  tronait  le 
vieux  Wieland."  *  Yet  in  March,  1776,  we  find  Wie- 
land  writing  to  Merck  :  "  For  me  there  is  no  life  more 
without  this  wonderful  boy,  whom  I  love  as  my  sole 
and  only-begotten  son,  and,  as  befits  an  actual 
father,  have  a  heartfelt  joy  that  he  is  growing  so 
finely  over  my  head,  and  is  all  that  which  I  have  not 
been  able  to  be." 

Wieland  seems  early  to  have  extended  his  admira- 
tion for  the  son  to  the  mother ;  as  we  find,  in  this 
the  earliest  letter  which  has  .been  published,  allu- 
sions to  previous  ones,  and  the  Frau  Rath  already 
greeted  as  his  "  dear  mother  Aja. " 

The  aunt  (Tante),  who  is  frequently  alluded  to  by 
this  title  in  the  correspondence,  is  Johanna  Fahlmer, 
a  relative  by  marriage  of  the  brothers  Jacobi  of 
Diisseldorf. 

'  Mademoiselle  Fahlmer"  (Goethe  writes),  "  who 
had  come  to  Frankfort  from  Diisseldorf,  and  who 
was  intimate  with  their  (Jacobis')  circle,  by  the 
great  tenderness  of  her  sympathies  and  the  uncom- 
mon cultivation  of  her  mind,  furnished  an  evidence 
of  the  worth  of  the  society  in  which  she  had  grown 
up.  She  gradually  put  us  to  shame  by  her  patience 
with  our  harsh  upper-German  manners,  and  taught 
us  forbearance  by  letting  us  feel  that  we  ourselves 
stood  in  need  of  it."  (Autobiography.) 

At  a  time  when  French  was  almost  exclusively  the 
language  of  the  upper  classes  in  Germany,  Wieland  had 
the  great  merit  of  showing  that  the  despised  mother- 

*  "  Cours  de  literature  Allemande,  Goethe  et  Schiller." 


;8  Goethes  Mother. 

\J 

tongue  was  susceptible  of  ease,  grace,  and  beauty. 
He  had  thus  become  the  fashionable  poet  of  the  day  ; 
but  the  task  was  a  rude  one,  and  in  his  letters  he 
evidently  unbends  with  delight  from  the  toil  of  the 
polisher.  In  an  easy-going,  slipshod  manner  he 
rattles  on  in  the  first  words  that  occur  to  him,  con- 
fusing idioms  and  mingling  languages  until  one 
seeks  in  vain  to  discover  whether  it  is  his  French 
that  is  most  Teutonic,  or  his  German  most  Gallic. 

7.  Frau  Rath  to  Crcspel. 

FRANKFORT,  5th  January,  1777. 
DEAR  SON  :  .  .  .  I  hope  you  will  not  take  ill 
the  trouble  the  affair  gives  you  ;  you  shall  in  return 
for  it  sit  at  the  round  table,  and  upon  your  head  a 
whole  horn  of  good  things  shall  be  poured  out. 
Yesterday  would  have  been  a  great  pleasure  to  you. 
A  thousand  pities  that  you  are  sitting  in  Ratisbon. 
8  young  maidens  were  with  me  :  two  Demoiselles 
Clermondt,  the  Mingen  Stark, etc.  We  played  "  Stirbt 
der  Fuchs,  so  gilt  sein  Balg,"  and  that  brought  for- 
feits and  made  much  merriment.  Then  there  were 
stories  told,  and  riddles  given  ;  in  one  word,  there 
was  great  fun.  I  delivered  correctly  your  greetings 
to  Max,*  Aunt,  and  the  Gerocks.  They,  each  and 
all,  love  and  value  you,  and  wished  that  you  were 
back  again.  To  a  certain  Peter,  f  only,  your  ab- 
sence is  a  great  comfort.  He  is  altogether  an  odd 
stick  ;  %  before  Max  gets  into  the  new  house,  he 

*  Max  is  Maximiliane  La  Roche,  married  to  Peter  Anton  Bren- 
tano  ;  among  their  children  was  Bettina. 

f  Pete-  Brentano.  \  Ein  wunderlicher  Heiliger  ! 


Frau  Rath  to  Crespel.  39 

will  probably  lead  her  many  a  dance.  There  is  noth- 
ing new  here  in  God's  world,  except  that  a  great 
snow  has  fallen,  and  many  people  are  sleighing. 
Farewell,  dear  friend.  Keep  us  in  good  remem- 
brance, and  be  assured  that  we  all,  and  I  especially 
am  and  will  be  your  true  friend  and  faithful  mother, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 


Rath  Bernhard  Crespel  was  the  son  of  a  jeweller 
in  Frankfort  who  had  many  business  relations  with 
princes.  The  Prince  of  Thurn  and  Taxis,  out  of 
compliment  to  the  father,  bestowed  upon  the  babe 
in  his  cradle  the  title  of  "  Rath,"  almost  as  if  in 
mockery  of  this  much-loved  title.  Crespel  is  not 
mentioned  by  name  in  Goethe's' Autobiography,  but 
is  well  known  as  that  one  of  the  group  of  youthful 
friends  who  devised  the  sort  of  marriage  lottery  de- 
scribed in  the  sixth  book,  and  again  in  the  six- 
teenth. Crespel's  ready  tongue,  his  conventual 
education,  and  his  premature  baldness  gave  color  to 
Goethe  likening  him  to  a  Capuchin  friar.  He  be- 
came a  complete  oddity,  made  his  own  shoes  and 
clothes,  built  a  queer  house  near  Frankfort,  and  had 
the  ill-luck  to  be  the  subject  of  one  of  Hoffmann's 
witty  sketches. 

But  at  the  moment  of  which  we  are  speaking 
Crespel  was  in  Ratisbon,  and  the  Frau  Rath  was 
writing  to  him  to  give  him  the  news  of  the  youthful 
circle,  and  to  comfort  him  amid  the  rebuffs  which 
his  oddities  had  probably  drawn  upon  him. 

The  Frau  Rath  gathered  about  her  every  Satur- 
day a  group  of  young  girls,  and  entered  heartily 


40  Goethe  s  Mother. 

into  all  their  diversions.  The  game  of  Stirbt  der 
Fuchs  so  gilt  sein  Balg"  (When  the  fox  dies,  his  skin 
counts)  is  the  one  known  as  "  Jack's  Alight."  The 
players  stand  in  a  circle  and  pass  a  lighted  stick 
around,  and  the  one  in  whose  hand  it  goes  out  has 
to  redeem  the  fox's  skin  by  paying  a  forfeit.  There 
are  some  charming  verses  of  Goethe's  under  this 
title,  and  in  reply  to  an  inquiry  from  Zelter,  Goethe 
gives  the  following  as  the  couplets  which  each  one 
was  obliged  to  repeat  while  holding  the  lighted  stick 
in  his  hand  : 

Stirbt  der  Fuchs  so  gilt  der  Balg, 
Lebt  er  lang,  so  wird  er  alt, 

Lebt  er,  so  lebt  er, 

Stirbt  er,  so  stirbt  er, 
Man  begrabt  ihn  nicht  mil  der  Haul, 
Das  gereicht  ihm  zur  Ehre. 

When  the  Fox  dies,  his  skin  counts, 
If  he  lives  long  he  will  be  old  ; 

If  he  lives,  he  lives, 

If  he  dies,  he  dies  ; 
He  will  not  be  buried  in  his  skin, 
And  this  is  an  honor  to  him. 

We  add  Goethe's    song,   with  Browning's   trans 
lation  : 

Nach  Mittage  sassen  wir 

Junges  Volk  im  Kiihlen  ; 
Amorkam,  und  stirbt  der  Fuchs 

Wollt  er  mil  uns  spielen. 

Jeder  meiner  Freunde  sass 

Froh  bei  seinem  Herxchen  ; 
Amor  blies  die  Fackel  aus, 

Sprach  :  hier  ist  das  Kerzchen  ! 


Frail.  Rath  to  Crespcl.  41 


Und  die  Fackel,  wie  sie  glomm. 

Lies  man  eilig  wandern 
Jeder  driickte  sie  geschwind 

In  die  Hand  des  andern. 

Und  mir  reichte  Dorilis 
Sie  mit  Spott  und  Scherze  : 

Kaum  berUhrt  mein  Finger  sie, 
Hell  entflammt  die  Kerze. 

Sengt  mir  Augen  und  Gesicht, 
Sezt  die  Brust  in  Flammen, 

tJeber  meinem  Haupte  schlug 
Fast  die  Gluth  zusammen. 

LOschen  wollt'  ich,  patschte  zu  ; 

Doch  es  brennt  bestandig  ; 
Statt  zu  sterben  ward  der  Fuchs 

Recht  bei  mir  lebendig. 

When  the  Fox  dies,  his  skin  counts 
We  young  people  in  the  shade 

Sat  one  sultry  day  ; 
Cupid  came,  and  "  Dies  the  Fox" 

With  us  sought  to  play. 

Each  one  of  my  friends  then  sat 

By  his  mistress  dear  ; 
Cupid,  blowing  out  the  torch, 

Said,   "The  taper's  here"  ! 

Then  we  quickly  sent  around 

The  expiring  brand  ; 
Each  one  put  it  hastily 

In  his  neighbor's  hand. 

Dorilis  then  gave  it  me, 

With  a  scoffing  jest  ; 
Sudden  into  flame  it  broke. 

By  my  fingers  press'd. 

And  it  singed  my  eyes  and  face, 

Set  my  breast  on  fire  ; 
Then  above  my  head  the  blaze 

Mounted  ever  higher. 


42  Goethes  Mother. 

Vain  I  sought  to  put  it  out ; 

Ever  burned  the  flame  ; 
'Stead  of  dying,  soon  the  Fox 

Livelier  still  became. 

Mrs.  Austin,  in  her  "  Characteristics  of  Goethe," 
gives  a  portion  of  a  letter,  evidently  from  one 
of  the  members  of  this  Saturday  circle.  The 
writer  says:  'To  the  characteristics  of  Goethe's 
extraordinary  mother,  I  should  add  that  she  had  a 
singular  art  of  stimulating  young  and  active  minds, 
and  that  out  of  the  treasures  of  her  own  experience 
she  instructed  them  in  the  science  of  life.  How  did 
we  hang  on  her  lips,  when  in  her  joyous  yet  earnest 
manner  she  related  to  us,  then  girls  of  twelve  or 
fourteen,  a  story  of  Musaeus  or  Wieland,  or  recited 
a  poem  by  her  son  !" 

"  She  was  worthy  of  life"  (Sie  war  des  Lebens 
werth),  said  her  great  son  to  me  in  the  year  1814, 
when  he  revisited  his  paternal  city.  How  intense 
was  her  attachment  to  her  friends  ;  how  efficient  a 
mediator  and  helper  ;  how  faithful  and  discreet  a 
confidant  was  she  !  She  used  to  say,  "  Don't  lose 
your  presence  of  mind  because  the  wind  blows 
roughly  ;"  and  think  of  Wieland's  words,  "  Die  Hand 
die  uns  durch  dieses  Dunkel  fiihrt"  (The  hand  that 
leads  us  through  this  darkness). 

8.  Frau  Rath  to  Crcspcl. 

FRANKFORT,  the  ist  Febr.,  1777. 
DEAR  SON  :  In  one  respect   your  letter  gave    me 
great  joy  and  delight  ;  for  everything  which   comes 
from  you,  my  dear  friend,  gives  me  pleasure.     But, 


CATHARINE  ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 
After  an  Engraving  in  Robert  Koenig 's  "Deutsche  Literaturg<schkhte. 


Frau  Rath  to  Crespel.  43 

for  God's  sake,  tell  me  what  melancholy  tone  is  this 
which  gives  your  letter  the  air  of  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah in  Lamentations.  Toward  Ratisbon  I  shall  now 
my  life  long  have  an  irreconcilable  hatred  :  it  must 
be  an  unmannerly  place  where  they  can  grieve  our 
dear,  good  Crespel,  and  mistake  his  excellent  char- 
acter. A  bar  of  gold  of  forty  pounds  without  any 
stamp  is,  after  all,  more  valuable  than  a  quarter 
ducat  piece,  be  the  latter  ever  so  finely  stamped  and 
deemed  current  by  Jews  and  Christians.  Merit  re- 
mains merit,  and  will  be  felt  and  prized  by  all  upright 
people  ;  about  the  praise  or  blame  of  the  rest,  the 
.silken  varlets,*  an  honest  fellow  need  not  trouble 
himself.  Think  of  all  your  brother  the  Doctor  has 
had  to  fight  through — what  idle  talk,  gossip,  lies, 
etc. — just  because  people  couldn't  conceive  how  any- 
body, without  being  of  the  nobility,  could  have  any 
sense. f  But  possess  your  soul  in  patience,  try  to 
set  your  affairs  in  order,  and  then  fly  to  to  us  !  You 
shall  be  received  with  all  friendly  warmth  :  rely 
upon  that  !  We  know  your  intrinsic  worth,  and 
what  you  weigh  ;  \  and  n6t  we  alone,  but  other  good 
people  know  it  as  well  ;  among  whom,  especially 
greet  you,  Jungfer  Fahlmer,  the  Resident's  wife, 
and  the  Gerocks.  Every  Saturday  we  talk  of 
brother  Crespel,  and  regret  that  you  do  not  help  us 

*  "  Und  die  seidnen  Buben  beguckten  mich  von  vorn  und 
hinten."  George,  in  Goetz  von  Berlichingen.  (The  silken  pages 
stared  at  me  from  head  to  foot.) 

f  Goethe.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  spirit  of  caste  was 
so  strong  at  Weimar  that,  in  the  end,  the  Duke  found  it  politic  to 
have  Goethe  "  ennobled." 

\  Continuation  of  the  comparison  to  a  bar  of  gold. 


44  Goethe's  Mother. 

to  laugh.  We  have  now  a  hobby  which  gives  us 
great  pleasure  :  it  is  the  new  German  opera  by  Pro- 
fessor Klein,  in  Mannheim,  Gunthcr  von  Schwarz- 
burgy  which  has  been  improved  and  augmented  by 
the  praiseworthy  Saturday  society,  with  notes,  re- 
marks, and  even  designs.  Further,  Philip  has  sent 
us  a  programme  of  the  Carnival  diversions  at  Wei- 
mar, wherein,  among  other  things,  there  is  a  tragedy 
bearing  the  title,  Life  and  Deeds,  Death,  and  Recep- 
tion in  Elysium  of  the  late  celebrated  Queen  Dido  of 
Carthage.  A  tragedy  in  thirty-one  scenes,  never 
before  represented  ;  a  spectacle  such  as  has  never 
been  seen  or  heard  of  under  the  sun.  Among  other 
things,  Jack  Pudding  (Hanswurst)  is  Mayor  of  Car- 
thage, and  rival  to  ./Eneas.  Further,  the  first  fifteen 
scenes  are  represented  on  the  earth,  and  in  this 
life  :  now  at  Carthage,  now  in  a  forest,  now  in  a 
market-place,  now  in  a  room,  and  so  on.  The  fol- 
lowing ten  scenes  occur  in  Hades,  but  the  last  six  in 
beautiful  Elysium.  In  one  word,  the  thing  should  be 
read  when  one  has  an  indigestion,  and  I  will  answer 
for  the  cure.  .  .  .  Farewell,  dear,  good  friend  ! 
rest  assured  that  I  am  your  true  friend  and  mother, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 

9.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

FRANKFORT,  the  i3th  June,  1777. 

DEAR  SON  :  God's  blessing  upon  you  and  all  be- 
longing to  you  !  Here  is  a  little  book  which  I  am 
directed  from  Weimar  to  send  to  you.  Who  the 
author  is,  God  knows. 

But,  dear  son,  what  are  you  about  ?     One  hears 


Fran  Rath  to  Lavatcr.  45 

and  sees  nothing  from  the  good  Lavater,  who  is 
to  me  so  dear.  With  us  it  is  as  it  is  written  :  the 
heart  of  man  is  defiant  and  desponding.  Since  my 
children  are  no  longer  with  me,  everything  depends 
upon  the  letters  we  receive.  From  Weimar  we  have 
good  news  from  Emmendingen.  Is  Frau  Schlos- 
ser*  ill?  perhaps  dangerously?  God  knows!  If 
the  post  were  not  about  leaving,  I  could  write  more, 
but  the  little  book  has  been  here  longer  than  it 
ought.  Let  us  trust  everything  to  the  Lord  :  He  is 
love,  consequently  all  will  go  well.  Greet  wife  and 
children,  and  rest  assured  that  I  am  your  faithful 
mother  and  true  friend, 

GOETHE. 

N.B.  Is  it  not  so  ?  You  have  forgotten  the  cop- 
per-plates, which  were  for  us  ;  a  portion  of  them 
belong  in  the  first  "  Essay  on  Physiognomy;"  and 
then  there  is  the  Herr  Rath's  portrait,  and  mine 
also. 


There  is  in  Lavater's  diary  an  interesting  account 
of  a  visit  to  the  Frau  Rath's  daughter,  Cornelia, 
about  whom  so  much  anxiety  is  expressed  (and  just- 
ly) in  the  preceding  letter.  Lavater  visited  her  in 
1774,  on  his  way  to  Frankfort,  three  years  before  her 
death. 

"Sunday,  the  iQth  June,  I  arrived  at  the  post- 
house  in  Carlsruhe.  I  asked  at  once  for  Herr  Hof- 
rath  Schlosser.  He  is  not  at  his  country  place. 
But  the  Frau  Hofrathin  ?  f  Oh  yes.  I  set  forth 

*  Her  only  daughter.  Cornelia,  f  Councillor's  wife. 


46  Goethes  Mother, 

without  delay,  very  curious  to  see  Schlosser's  wife 
and  Goethe's  sister.  I  knocked  :  a  young,  sprightly 
girl  came  out — not  the  Councillor's  wife,  thought  I. 
Directly  behind  her  came  a  tall,  pale,  very  august 
lady,  in  a  white  dress  ;  both  transfixed  me  with  their 
eyes_began  to  smile  :  '  Ah,  perhaps  you  are  Herr 
Lavater  ?  '  'I  am.'  The  young  girl  shouted  out  so 
loud  that  Frau  Schlosser  shut  the  door,  where  com- 
pany was  sitting.  '  Not  so  loud,  my  child.  Are 
you  Lavater  ?  '  The  young  girl  continued  to  hop 
about,  shout,  seized  me  by  the  hand,  led  me  into 
Schlosser's  very  lofty,  very  simple  study,  full  of  a 
thousand  things.  I  begged  them  to  return  to  their 
visitors.  They  went.  I  looked  a  little  over  the  li- 
brary, read  the  Frankfort  Advertiser,  drank  a  cup  of 
tea.  In  the  mean  time  Frau  Schlosser  came  back. 
Her  husband  was  occupied  in  some  business  in  the 
vicinity  of  Strasbourg.  I  wrote  a  note  to  Goethe, 
as  his  sister  said  he  was  expecting  me  on  Sunday. 
Now  the  visitors  went  away,  another  girl  came  in, 
sister  of  the  first  one,  Antoinette  and  Catharine 
Gerock  :  how  glad  they  were  to  see  me  !  Goethe's 
profile  in  plaster  hung  in  the  room,  a  perfect  like- 
ness ;  portraits  of  Goethe's  parents,  of  Fraulein  von 
Klettenberg,  a  matchless  old  lady.  We  talked  of 
Laocoon,  which  stood  in  the  room  ;  we  went  into 
their  simple  garden,  which  had  been  laid  out  by  their 
own  hands  ;  we  talked  of  a  hundred  other  things — 
of  my  friends  in  Zurich,  of  Passavant,  of  Merck,  who 
is  too  indolent  to  write  letters,  but  has  made  an 
excellent  translation,  of  our  pleasure  at  being  to- 
gether." 


Frau  Rath  to  Lav  ate  r.  47 

10.  Frau  Rath  to  La-cater. 

FRANKFORT,  the  23d  June,  1777. 
"  He  giveth  power  to  the  faint  ;  and  to  them  that 
have  no  might  he  increaseth  strength."*  His  word 
shall  surely  stand.  New,  living,  present  witnesses 
are  we,  who  know  that  our  Cornelia,  our  only 
daughter,  is  now  in  the  grave  ;  and  indeed,  wholly 
unexpectedly;  the  flash  and  the  stroke  were  one.  O 
dear  Lavater  !  The  poor  mother  had  much,  much 
to  bear.  My  husband  had  been  ill  the  whole  winter 
— the  careless  shutting  of  a  door  would  startle  him 
— and  to  him  I  had  to  be  the  messenger  of  the  death 
of  his  daughter,  whom  he  loved  above  everything. 
My  heart  was  as  if  crushed  ;  but  the  thought,  "  Shall 
there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done 
it  ?"  f  sustained  me,  so  that  I  did  not  sink  under 
my  grief.  Without  a  belief  as  firm  as  a  rock  in  God 
—the  God  who  numbers  the  hairs  of  the  head,  with- 
out whom  no  sparrow  falls  ;  who  neither  slumbers 
nor  sleeps,:}:  who  is  never  gone  on  a  journey,§  who 
knows  the  thought  of  my  heart  before  it  is  formed, 
who  hears  me  without  my  having  need  to  cut  myself 
with  knives  and  lancets  till  the  blood  gushes  out  ;  § 
who,  in  one  word,  is  love — without  belief  in  Him  it 
would  be  impossible  to  bear  any  such  thing.  Truly 
man  feels  his  own  (weak)  nature.  Paul  says,  No 
chastening  for  the  present  seemeth  to  be  joyous  ;  || 
but  it  is  one  thing  to  feel,  another  to  be  discon- 
tented with  God's  leading,  and  to  put  one's  self  in 

*  Isaiah  40 :  29.  f  Amos  3:6.  \  Psalms  121  :  4. 

§  Allusions  to  i  Kings  18  :  27-28.  |j  Hebrews  12  :  n. 


48  Goethe's  Mother. 

the  place  of  those  who  have  no  hope.  But  we  who 
know  that  beyond  the  grave  dwells  immortality,  and 
that  our  life,  which  is  but  a  span  long,  may  also 
soon  be  at  its  end — us  it  becomes  to  kiss  the  hand 
that  chastens  us,  and  to  say  (truly  with  a  thousand 
tears),  "  The  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken 
away  :  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord."  * 

Dear  son,  your  letter  did  me  much  good  ;  and  yet 
you  are  vexed  with  yourself  that  you  cannot  comfort 
us.  But  if  I  tell  you  that  it  was  a  cordial  to  me  that 
I  had  open  before  me  your  whole,  warm,  feeling, 
friendly  heart  ?  for  if  I  only  see  a  line  of  yours,  all 
the  happy  moments  occur  to  me  when  we  ate  at  the 
same  table,  when  you  were  under  my  roof,  when 
you  came  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  to  my  sit- 
ting-room, where  I  had  hardly  seen  you  a  moment, 
and  yet  knew  at  once  on  which  round  of  the  long 
ladder  on  which  my  sons  stand  I  should  place  you, 
and  that  I  was  not  mistaken  ;  how  I  wept  the 
whole  day  of  your  departure — all  this  comes  back  to 
memory  if  I  but  see  your  handwriting  on  an  ad- 
dress. Forgive  me,  dear  son,  that  I  go  on  scrib- 
bling so  long.  Know  it  is  now  one  of  my  dearest 
occupations  to  write  letters  to  the  friends  who  are 
near  to  my  heart,  who  share  with  me  joy  and  sor- 
row. I  live  in  this  great  city  as  in  a  desert.  I  have 
only  one  of  the  Fahlmers  who  understands  me 
(and  she  is  now,  unfortunately,  in  Dusseldorf).  Now, 
my  dear  friend,  farewell ;  greet  your  dear  wife. 
.  .  .  One  thing  more  :  I  have  received  two  excel- 
lent letters  from  my  dear  son  Schlosser.  He  bears 

*  Job  i  :  21. 


IVieland  to  Fran  RatJi.  49 

it  as  a  Christian,  and  a  man,  and — believes  in  God. 
Now  the  Almighty  bless  you,  and  all  belonging  to 
you.  Keep  your  love  for  me  ;  mine  shall  endure  to 
the  grave — yes,  beyond  it — this  says,  and  will  main- 
tain. Your  faithful 

MOTHER  AJA. 

II.    Wicland  to  Frau  Rath. 

DEAR  MOTHER  AJA  :  This  instant  I  receive  a  let- 
ter from  Klinger,  which  puts  me  in  some  perplexity. 
He  offers  me  a  work,  "  The  Ladies'  Apology,  or 
the  New  Orpheus,"  a  tragical  story:  he  has  writ- 
ten it,  he  says,  to  aid  his  mother,  and  it  is  at  the 
service  of  the  Mercury,  serially,  provided  I  will  give 
him  for  his  mother's  benefit  as  much  as  I  would 
give  any  other  honest,  good-hearted  fellow.  Now 
Klinger  is  dear  to  me,  and  I  would  not  begrudge  it 
to  his  poor  mother,  if  her  son's  "  New  Orpheus" 
might  contribute  something  toward  her  coming  bet- 
ter through  the  approaching  winter.  But,  you  see 
yourself,  dearest  Frau  Aja,  that  this  alone  is  not 
sufficient.  If  this  work  should  be  of  the  same  stamp 
as  our  friend  Klinger's  previous  tragic  explosions,  I 
could  not  use  it  for  the  Mercury.  I  must,  there- 
fore, in  order  not  to  buy  a  cat  in  a  bag,  know  before- 
hand what  it  is.  You  have  in  former  times  interested 
yourself  for  poor  Klinger,  dear  mother  ;  I  know  not 
how  the  case  stands  now,  or  whether  he  in  the  mean 
time  has  done  anything  ta  incur  the  loss  of  your 
favor.  But  if  he  still,  as  I  suspect,  has  admittance 
to  you,  I  would  like  to  beg  you  to  get  him  to  give 
you  the  above-mentioned  manuscript,  and  then  to 


5<D  Goethes  Mother. 

have  you  give  me  a  candid  opinion  of  it.  But 
should  this  commission  be  in  the  slightest  degree 
disagreeable  and  inconvenient  to  you,  let  it  be  as  if 
I  had  not  mentioned  it.  Klinger  may  then  send 
me  his  manuscript  himself,  and  take  the  chance 
whether  I  can  use  it  or  not. 

This  winter,  my  charming  little  mother,  we  see 
each  other — I  am  coming  to  pass  Christmas  with 
you  ;  for  I  must  go  to  Mannheim  to  hear  Schweit- 
zer's Rosamundc,  for  which  (as  people  say)  I  have 
written  the  text.  To  musical  souls  it  will  be  a 
great  festival.  But  the  best  of  it  is  that  it  gives 
me  an  opportunity  to  pay  you  a  visit  at  Frankfort, 
and  to  our  Merck  at  Darmstadt.  I  cannot  express 
to  you  how  much  I  rejoice  in  the  prospect  of  it. 

Your  son  Goethe  is  sitting,  like  Dr.  Luther  two 
centuries  and  a  half  ago  in  the  Wartburg,  and 
sketches  the  Monk  and  the  Nun,*  and  feels  quite 
at  home  among  the  spirits  of  the  old  knightly  times 
who  haunt  thai:  noble  castle  ;  so  I  believe— for  he 
gives  to  poor  me  no  sign  of  life.  Perhaps  he  does  no 
better  by  you  ;  but  for  all  that  he  loves  us  none 
the  less.  With  all  his  peculiarities,  he  is  and  con- 
tinues to  be  one  of  the  best,  noblest,  and  most  ad- 
mirable men  on  God's  earth.  And  who,  now,  would 
not  wish  to  know  personally  the  father  and  mother 
of  such  a  man  ?  My  best  respects  to  the  former, 


*  A  rock,  bearing  a  fancied  resemblance  to  two  persons  embrac- 
ing, projects  from  the  Mittelstein,  a  hill  near  the  Wartburg,  and 
has  attached  to  it  the  legend  that  it  represents  the  petrified  forms 
of  a  monk  and  nun,  who,  escaping  from  their  cloisters,  were  here 
turned  into  stone  at  the  moment  of  meeting.  Wieland  has  versi- 
fied this  legend. 


GOETHE'S  SISTER,  CORNELIA  SCHLOSSER. 

Drawn  by  Goethe  in  the  margin  of  a  proof  sheet  of  Got*  von 
Berlichingen  (1773),  and  sent  to  Frederica  Oeser.  From  an  en- 
graving in  Robert  Koenig's  "Deutsche  Literaturgeschichte." 


Wieland  to  Frau  Ratk.  51 

and  let  me  know,  at  your  convenience,  if  your  son 
Wieland  will  be  welcome  ? 

WEIMAR,  the  30th  September,  1777. 

May  I  beg  you  to  forward  the  inclosed  letter  to 
Klinger  ? 


12.    Wieland  to  Fran  Rath. 

DEAR  FRAU  AJA  :  A  thousand  thanks  for  your 
reiterated  assurance  that  I  shall  find  a  friendly  wel- 
come in  your  hospitable  house.  I  leave  here  on  the 
1 3th,  and  have  the  fixed  intention  to  be  with  you 
by  Wednesday,  therefore  a  day  sooner  than  I  lately 
wrote.  But  it  will  be  best,  dear  mother,  that  you 
do  not  expect  me,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  I  hope 
that  I  shall  not  disturb  in  any  particular  the  order  arid 
method  of  your  household.  The  greatest  honor  you 
can  show  me  is  to  treat  me  as  a  son.  The  violinist  * 
is  a  very  good  creature,  though  a  clumsy  lout,  who 
shall  let  you  hear  something  of  his  savoir  faire. 

Not  a  word  further.  All  my  thoughts  have  ridden 
on  before  with  twenty-four  horn-blowing  postilions, 
and  there  is  nothing  of  me  here  -but  a  little  bit  of 
heart  and  a  wandering  shadow. 

Adieu,  dear  good  mother  ;  commend  me  to  your 
lord  and  master,  whom  I  cannot  yet  greet  as  father 
until  I  see  if  he  has  any  fancy  to  acknowledge  him- 
self as  such. 

My  mother  and  the  wife  of  my  heart  greet  you  ; 
and  the  latter,  with  all  her  goodness  and  equanimity, 
envies  me,  after  all,  a  little,  this  time.  If  it  were 

*  Kranz,  who  was  to  accompany  him. 


52  Goethe's  Mother. 

not  for  the  little  one,  I  truly  believe   I  should  bring 
her  with  me.     But  that  now  cannot  be. 

Brother  Wolf  is  not  yet  here.  He  returns  as  I 
leave.  Philip,  however,  already  has  the  book. 
Many  thanks  for  my  copy.  Further  of  this  by 
word  of  mouth. 

WEIMAR,  the  loth  December,  1777. 

Once  more  adieu,  from  your     . 

Affectionate  son,     . 
WlELAND. 

13.    Wieland  to  Fran  Rath. 

MANNHEIM,  the  23d  Decemb.,  1777. 

DEAREST  MOTHER  :  Here  I  am  now  at  Mannheim, 
and  Heaven  only  knows  how  I  feel.  My  heart  and 
mind  are  with  you  and  our  dear  good  papa,  and  our 
friend  Merck,  with  whom  I  am  now  for  always  and 
ever  agreed.  What  a  fall,  dear  mother  !  from  your 
house  into  the  bottom-mud  of  the  great  frog-ditch 
of  Abdera  !  *  Let  us  not  speak  of  it.  We  will  see 
how  we  may  extricate  ourselves  with  honor.  As 
soon  as  I  can  stand  it  no  longer,  I  hasten  back  to  you. 
The  famous  opera,  which  was  to  have  been  played 
for  the  first  time  on  the  7th  January,  is  now,  accord- 
ing to  report  not  to  be  given  till  the  I3th  or  I4th. 
Oh,  these  people  ! — I  see  in  advance  that  I  shall  be 
here  in  a  continual  rage,  and  my  friends  can  there- 
fore be  perfectly  at  ease  about  my  bonlwmmie. 

Ade,  dear  Papa,  dear  mother  Aja  !     May  Heaven 

*  Allusion  to  his  novel,  "Die  Abderiten,"  which  has  been 
translated  into  English,  under  the  title  of  "  The  Republic  of  Fools  : 
being  the  History  of  the  State  and  People  of  Abdera  in  Thrace." 


Wieland  to  Frau  Rath.  53 

recompense  you  for  the  blissful  days  which  I  have 
lived  with  and  through  you  ?  Kranz  bends  his 
knees.  The  good  fellow  cried  like  a  child  when  we 
were  outside  of  Frankfort,  and  once  more  in  the 
open,  and  said  from  time  to  time  wonderful  things 
in  the  storm  and  stress  of  his  heart.  Once  more, 
adieu,  best  of  mothers  !  I  beg  you  to  send  the  in- 
closed to  the  post,  and  ever  to  hold  dear 
Your  son, 

WIELAND. 
Our  greetings  to  all  deserving  them. 

14.    Wieland  to  Frau  Rath. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  The  day  of  my  deliverance  out 
of  this  Babylonian  Abdera  approaches.  A  general 
rehearsal  of  Rosamundc  with  the  scenery,  which  is  to 
be  given  next  Wednesday,  detains  me  still  ;  other- 
wise I  should  have  left  to-day.  The  precise  day 
when  I  shall  be  again  with  you  I  cannot  name,  for 
the  reason  that  I  do  not  yet  know  whether  I  shall 
make  my  visit  to  Herr  Grosschlag  from  Darmstadt 
or  from  Frankfort.  But  I  know,  dearest  Frau  Aja, 
that  I  shall  be  welcome  to  you  and  our  dear  Papa, 
let  me  come  when  I  will.  From  home  I  have  very 
good  reports.  Adieu,  dear,  best  mother.  How 
much  that  is  amusing  we  shall  have  to  relate  to  you 
of  this  fair  Mannheim  ! 

Kranz  makes  his  salamale  *  in  all  the  devotion  of 
his  heart. 

MANNHEIM,  the  i2th  January,  1778. 

Your  very  own  W. 

*  Low  bow,  salaam. 


54  Goethe's  Mother. 

Wieland  did  not  see  the  opera  brought  out  :  at 
the  last  moment  it  was  indefinitely  postponed  by 
the  death  of  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  which  threw  the 
court  into  mourning.  The  only  point  of  interest 
connected  with  it  is  that  it  brought  Wieland  ac- 
quainted with  Mozart,  who  conducted  one  of  the  re- 
hearsals. 


15.  Frau  Rath  to  Frdulein  von  Gochhausen. 

The  following  doggerel  verses  are  a  reply  by  the 
Frau  Rath  to  a  similar  effusion  from  Fraulein  von 
Gochhausen,  written  on  green  paper,  and  containing 
birthday  greetings.  They  are  without  date  ;  but  Dr. 
Keil,  from  the  context,  assigns  them  to  February, 
1778.  We  give  them  in  the  original,  followed  by  an 
attempt  at  translation  : 

Dein  guter  Wunsch  auf  grtin  Papier 

Hat  mir  gemacht  sehr  viel  Plasir, 

Im  Verse  machen  habe  nicht  viel  gethan, 

Das  sieht  mann  diesen  warlich  an, 

Doch  hab  ich  gebohren  ein  Knablein  sch5n 

Das  thut  das  alles  gar  trefflich  verstehn, 

Schreibt  Puppenspiele  kunterbunt 

Tausend  Alexandriner  in  einerStund. 

Doch  da  derselbe  zu  dieser  Frist 

Geheimdter  Legations  Rath  in  Weimar  ist, 

So  kan  Er  bei  bewandten  Sachen 

Keine  Verse  vor  Frau  Aja  machen. 

Sonst  solltest  du  wohl  was  besseres  kriegen, 

Jetzt  musst  du  dich  hieran  begnligen, 

Es  mag  also  dabei  verbleiben 

Ich  will  meinen  Dank  in  Prosa  schreiben. 

Thy  friendly  wish  on  paper  green, 
To  me  a  pleasure  great  has  been  ; 


Frazt  Rath  to  Lavater.  55 

In  verses  I  have  not  much  done, 

As  may  be  seen  by  this  very  one  ; 

Yet  I  have  borne  a  little  boy  fair 

Who  understands  it  to  a  hair  : 

Writes  puppet-plays,  gay,  full  of  power, 

Makes  alexandrines  a  thousand  in  an  hour  ; 

But  as  he  now,  in  present  days, 

As  Privy  Councillor  in  Weimar  stays, 

So  can  he,  for  Frau  Aja's  sake, 

In  this  case  no  pretty  verses  make, 

Else  shoulds't  thou  have  had  something  better  sent, 

But  now  must  be  with  this  content ; 

So  it  is,  and  so  let  it  be. 

My  thanks,  in  prose,  I'll  write  to  thee. 

Fraulein  von  Gochhausen  was  maid-of-honor  to  the 
Duchess  Amalia.  She  was  little  and  crooked,  but 
with  all  the  wit  and  not  a  few  sparks  of  the  malice 
which  tradition  associates  with  ill-shape.  Oddly 
enough,  they  all  called  her  Thusnelda,  after  the  wife 
of  the  German  hero,  Arminius,  who  figures  in  Tac- 
itus. The  name  was  a  bitter  jest,  as  applied  to  the 
little  maid,  but  she  accepted  it,  and  doubtless  gave 
many  a  biting  repartee  in  return  for  it.  The  Duke 
and  Goethe  are  said  to  have  been  very  fond  of  her, 
although  active  hostilities  were  always  going  on  be- 
tween them,  in  the  warfare  of  wit,  fun,  and  practical 
jokes. 

1 6.  Frau  RatJi  to  Lavater. 

FRANKFORT,  the  20th  March,  1778. 
DEAR  SON  :  How  fares  it  with  you  in 
this  work-a-day  world  ?  .  .  .  If  the  good  God 
would  only,  for  just  once  more,  grant  me  the  joy  of 
seeing  you  at  my  round  table  !  To  have  you  once 
more  with  us  is  and  continues  to  be  one  of  my 


56  Goethes  Mother. 

favorite  ideas,  out  of  which  I  often  weave  for  myself 
the  most  charming  fancies.  This  winter  we  have 
also  become  acquainted  with  friend  Wieland.  Who- 
soever sees  that  man  and  does  not  grow  to  love 
him,  I  will  not  express  my  opinion  about  him.  He 
(Wieland)  was  with  us  8  days,  together  with  friend 
Merck.  Oh,  what  a  delightful  period  was  that,  once 
more  !  You  would  not  understand  it  so,  for  among 
you  there  are  still  a  few  good  people  ;  but  among 
us  !  !  !  !  I  am  only  afraid  of  rusting  out  ;  where  one 
is  obliged  to  associate  with  none  but  bad  people, 
there  is  1000  to  I  to  be  wagered,  that  if  one  does  not 
give  heed,  one  becomes  bad  too.  How  are  Kauff- 
man  and  his  dear  wife  ?  I  would  indeed  like  to  see 
him  as  father  of  a  family  :  it  must  suit  his  face  very 
well.  Brother  Wolf  is  well,  thank  God  ;  is  very 
happy  in  his  little  garden-house,  and  for  the  birthday 
of  the  reigning  Duchess  has  composed  a  nice  piece 
of  work,  a  drama,*  of  which  the  monodrame  Pros- 
erpina forms  a  portion.  He  sent  it  to  us  to  read,  for 
it  will  hardly  be  printed.  Schlosser  and  his  children 
are  well.  Klinger  is  now  with  him. 

Farewell,  dear  son  !     Greet  your  whole  household, 
also  all  dear  friends,  and  be  assured  that  we  are  and 
remain  your  true  and  faithful  friends. 
I  C.  E.  GOETHE. 

P.S.  If  it  were  possible  for  you  to  send  us  a  few 
more  impressions  of  the  Doctor's  portrait,  in  copper- 
plate, we  should  thank  you  heartily  for  them  ;  people 

*  "  Der  Triumph  der  Empfindsamkeit  "  (The  Triumph  of  Sensi- 
bility). 


Frau  Rath  to  Lavater.  57 

torment  us  continually  for  some  such  thing  as  a  me- 
mento. 

17.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

FRANKFORT,  the  26th  June,  1778. 

DEAR  SON  :  The  Doctor  has  sent  us  from  Weimar 
the  fourth  part  of  the  "  Physiognomy,"  but  without 
plates,  for  which  (as  he  says)  we  are  to  address  our- 
selves to  you.  So,  dear  Lavater,  the  plates  for  the 
fourth  part.  We  are  sorry  that  we  must  trouble  you 
so  often,  but,  after  all,  one  does  not  like  to  have  im- 
perfect books  ;  and  what  would  a  "  Physiognomy" 
be  without  plates  ? 

I  would  gladly  write  you  much  and  many  things, 
but  for  to-day  it  is  not  possible — only  this  much,  that 
we  once  more  in  this  earthly  life  have  had  joyous 
days  :  the  Duchess  Mother  *  has  been  with  us.  I 
care  nothing  for  lauding  and  praising.  One  must 
always  see  things  for  one's  self,  everything  else  is  wea- 
risome twaddle  ;  therefore  I  say  to  you  nothing  more 
than  that  we  were  delighted. 

The  Doctor,  thank  God,  is  well  and  happy.  Be 
sure  to  thank  Kaufmann's  wife  for  her  dear  little 
letter  ;  I  shall  also  write  her  soon.  Your  dear  wife — 
of  whom,  this  very  day,  a  certain  Herr  Reinwald  has 
told  me  so  much  that  is  good — greet  her,  too,  a 
thousand  times,  the  dear  good  woman. 

Kiss  your  children,  remain  our  friend,  as  you  know 
that  we  to  the  end  of  our  days  are  your  true  friends. 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 

*  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  of  Saxe-Weimar. 


58  Goethes  Mother. 

1 8.    Wieland  to  Frau  Rath. 

DEAR,  BEST  FRAU  AJA  :  Here  is  your  Mercury  for 
the  month  of  July.  There  is  a  place  in  it,  viz.,  a 
little  parcel  to  the  address  of  a  certain  Herr  Burgo- 
meister  of  N.  N.,*  otherwise  called  Anti-Pope,  f 
which  was  already  written  and  printed,  when  it  came 
by  chance  to  my  ears  that  Aunt  Fahlmer  was  going 
to  marry  the  Anti-Pope.  Had  any  one,  as  occasion 
offered,  very  prettily  written  me  this,  I  would,  out 
of  love  to  the  good  aunt,  have  passed  the  sponge 
over  the  past,  and  not  stood  upon  trifles.  Now,  it  is 
as  it  is.  For  the  rest,  I  am  glad  that  your  grand- 
children are  to  have  so  good  a  Vice-Mother,  and  am 
willing  to  grant  the  Moralist  his  good  fortune,  if  our 
Lord  God  grants  it  to  him,  although  his  whole  way 
of  thinking  is  odious  to  me. 

Our  dear  Duchess  \  we  are  now  expecting  daily, 
and  I  rejoice  in  anticipation  over  all  that  is  dear  and 
good  which  I  shall  hear  about  the  Casa  Santa  §  in 
Frankfort.  Farewell,  dear  mother,  and  do  not 
utterly  forget  your  son,  although  born  to  you  without 
travail. 

WEIMAR,  the  26th  Jul.,  1778. 

WIELAND. 

*  Nomen  nescio. 

f  The  Frau  Rath's  son-in-law,  Schlosser,  who  had  published  a 
translation  of  Pope's  "Essay  on  Man,"  with  an  introduction  en- 
titled, "Anti-Pope,  oder  Versuch  iiber  den  natiirlichen  Menschen" 
(Anti-Pope,  or  an  Essay  on  the  Natural  Man). 

|  The  Duchess  Anna  Amalia. 

§  Casa  Santa.  The  Goethe  house  in  Frankfort.  The  above 
letter  seems  to  be  the  source  of  this  name,  by  which  the  Goethe 
house  was  generally  known  in  the  circle  of  friends. 


Fraulein  von  G'ochhausen  to  Frau  Rath.     59 

19.  Fraulein  von  Gochhausen  to  Frau  Rath. 

ETTERSBURG,  the  25th  8br.,  78. 

Heartily  beloved  Frau  Aja,  I  always  rejoice  when 
I  sit  down  to  write  to  you  ;  but  would  to  Heaven  that 
my  letters  might  be  something  to  you,  or  that  I 
always  knew  something  interesting  to  write  to  you. 
This  time  I  will  tell  you  of  the  last  theatrical  merry- 
making which,  took  place  here  at  the  ducal  residence 
at  Ettersburg.  I  shall  inflict  every  kind  of  burning 
torment  on  Dr.  Wolf  and  Philip,  if  I  hear  that  they 
have  already  written  you  of  the  whole  affair ;  for  I 
begged  these  children  of  men  to  leave  me,  for  once, 
this  pleasure. 

Therefore,  the  2Oth  October  of  this,  under  God, 
passing  year,  it  occurred  that  the  Mt'dccin  malgre  lui, 
translated  by  Einsiedel,  and  the  Jalirmarktsfest  zu 
Plunder swcilcrn  were  performed  in  the  newly-built 
Ettersburg  theatre,  to  the  great  delight  of  all  spec- 
tators, high  and  low.  For  three  entire  weeks  before- 
hand there  was  no  end  of  noise  and  hammering,  and 
our  Princess,*  Dr.  Wolf,  Krauss,  etc.,  were  constantly 
tumbling  over  each  other  in  their  great  labor  and 
assiduity.  .  .  .  Dr.  Wolf  played  all  his  parts 
beyond  measure  excellently  and  well  ;  had  also  taken 
great  care  to  rig  himself  out,  especially  as  the 
Marktschreier  (Mountebank).  O  could  wishes  have 
conjured  you  here  to  us,  just  for  those  few  hours  ! 

Among  the  spectators  was  the  Hereditary  Prin- 
cess of  Brunswick,  who  had  come  a  few  days  before, 
and  manifested  great  pleasure  in  our  peep-show. 

*  Duchess  Anna  Amalia. 


60  Goethe's  Mother. 

After  the  play  a  great  banquet  was  given,  after 
which  the  persons  of  rank  took  leave  in  a  body  (ex- 
cept our  Duchess),  but  for  us  pack  of  players  there 
was  arranged  a  grand  ball,  which  lasted  till  the  clear, 
bright  morning,  and  all  was  merriment  and  good- 
nature. To  say,  also,  something  of  myself,  I  can- 
not help  mentioning,  with  all  modesty,  that  I  played 
the  noble  governess  in  the  puppet-show  very  nicely. 

20.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  of  Saxe-Weimar  to  Frau 
Rath. 

ETTERSBURG,  the  4th  November,  78. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  I  cannot  sufficiently  express  to 
you  how  glad  I  was  to  hear  that  you  were  well,  and 
that  you  for  once  have  had,  also,  a  few  good  days.* 
Friend  Merck  is  right  in  insisting  on  coming  here 
with  you,  dear  mother,  next  spring  ;  do  not  look 
upon  the  matter  as  so  difficult.  Friend  Wolff  wishes 
it  too  :  we  have  lately  talked  a  great  deal  about  it. 
We  will  provide  the  old  father,  during  the  time,  with 
all  sorts  of  entertainment.  Kranz  shall  come,  and 
shall  play  to  him  on  the  violin  in  a  model  style.  I 
think,  dear  mother,  that  your  heart  will  itself  speak 
enough  for  your  Hatschel  Hans  f  to  make  you  wish 
to  see  him  once  more.  You  cannot  think  how  much 
I  rejoice  in  the  thought  of  it. 

Thusnelde  will  give  you  a  full  description  of  the 

*  The  failing  health  of  the  Herr  Rath  gave  his  wife,  at  this  time, 
much  care  and  anxiety. 

f  An  English  equivalent  for  Hatschel  Hans  would  perhaps  be 
Johnny  Darling  Hatscheln,  to  fondle,  to  pet;  Hans,  Johnny. 
Goethe's  name  was  Johann  Wolfgang. 


Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath,  61 

fete,  which  I  have  given  here.  Our  friend  Wolff  has 
had  the  friendship  for  me  to  arrange  everything 
himself  ;  the  Jalirmarkt  von  Plunder swe Hern  went 
off  splendidly.  Your  son  sends  you  a  copy  of  it,  as 
it  was  played  here.  The  ballad-singer's  picture, 
Wolff,  Krauss,  and  I  painted  :  it  is  something  more 
for  your  Weimar  room.  The  music  to  the  songs  I 
am  going  to  have  arranged  for  the  harpsichord,  and 
as  soon  as  it  is  done  you  shall  have  it  also.  Fare- 
well, best  mother,  and  think  of  me  as  a  friend  who 
is  attached  to  you  for  life. 

AMELIE. 
Many  greetings  to  the  old  father. 


The  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  is  one  of  the  most 
charming  figures  in  the  Weimar  circle.  Genial, 
light-hearted,  fond  of  pleasure,  she  was  also  not 
lacking  in  judgment,  good-sense,  and  discretion. 
She  governed  her  duchy  with  ability,  yet  resigned  it 
without  regret  to  her  son,  Carl  August,  on  his  coming 
of  age.  Thenceforward  the  Court  of  the  Duchess 
Mother  was  the  centre  of  the  mirth  and  fun,  the  wit 
and  wisdom  of  Weimar,  while  her  daughter-in-law, 
Louise,  the  reigning  Duchess,  maintained,  on  her 
part,  stateliness  and  formal  dignity,  and  possessed 
the  happy  talent  of  saying  the  right  thing  at  the 
right  time.  Her  noble  bearing  after  the  battle  of 
Jena  has  passed  into  history,  with  the  exclamation 
wrung  from  Napoleon, 

"  Voila  une  femme,  qu'avec  nos  deux  cent 
canons,  nous  n'avons  pu  faire  trembler." 

The  Frau  Rath  was  just  the  woman  to  please  the 
Duchess  Mother.  The  latter  wrote  to  her  with  the 


62  Goethes  Mother. 

utmost  freedom,  and  the  Frau  Rath  responded  with 
equal  heartiness,  so  that  a  letter  from  her  "  dear 
mother  Aja"  was  greeted  by  the  Duchess  as  a  joyful 
event.  The  reader  should  not  be  misled  by  the  Frau 
Rath's  compliments,  and  frequent  repetitions  of 
"  Serene  Highness  ;"  these  are  the  mere  externals 
resulting,  naturally,  from  the  great  distance  which 
separated  the  Frau  Rath  socially  from  a  Duchess, 
especially  in  the  eighteenth  century.  At  that  period 
adulation  had  not,  -as  now,  ceased  to  be  thought 
polite,  as  is  pointed  out  by  Lord  Houghton  in  regard 
to  Humboldt.* 

To  the  present  day,  after  all  the  chances  and 
changes  of  time,  German  epistolary  forms  remain 
an  object  of  wonder  and  amazement  to  all  not  edu- 
cated to  them. 

Of  the  Duchess  Amalia,  Goethe  wrote  :  "  What- 
ever can  give  grace  or  charm  to  life,  she  sought  with 
wise  moderation  to  collect  around,  her.  .  .  .  She 
.delighted  in  the  conversation  of  persons  of  talent, 
and  sought  occasions  of  forming  connections  of  this 
kind,  of  maintaining  them,  and  of  turning  them  to 
account  ;  indeed,  there  is  no  one  of  any  note  con- 
nected with  Weimar  whose  powers  were  not,  sooner 
or  later,  called  forth  in  her  circle."  (Address  in 
commemoration  of  the  Duchess  Amalia.) 

21.  Merck  to    Wieland. 

FRCKF.,  the  2ist  Novbr.,  1778.    . 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  left  home  last  Monday.    Have 

had  a  troublesome  investigation  in  the  country,  and 

*  Monographs  by  Lord  Houghton. 


Merck  to   Wieland.  63 

have  another  before  me  next  week.  Meantime  my 
way  led  me  through  Frankfort,  and  thus  I  have 
passed,  now,  two  days  in  Casa  Santa,  and  have 
recapitulated  with  Frau  Aja  everything  that  oc- 
curred to  us  last  year  in  this  room.  Yesterday  all 
the  maidens  were  again  together,  who  came  last 
year  on  your  account  so  often  to  the  house,  and 
Madame  Brentano  played  again  the  jig  on  the  harp- 
sichord. At  the  same  time  we  remembered  thee  in 
the  evening,  in  the  capital  wine  cursed  Jacobi*  and 
his  like,  and  my  tears  flowed  down  at  all  these  inci- 
dents, and  because  it  is  now  a  whole  year  since  we 
have  seen  each  other,  and  that  it  would  be  another 
half  year  before  anything  of  the  kind  could  occur. 
Hereupon  the  Herr  Rath  generously  declared  that  he 
was  willing  to  let  his  wife  go,  in  case  the  Duke  would 
send  Fr.  Kranz  to  play  to  him  on  the  violin  while 
we  played  our  little  piece  at  Weimar.  There  will 
be  shortly  issued  by  me  a  supplication  in  form,  in 
the  name  of  Frau  Aja  and  consort,  to  the  Duke,  to 
release  the  musician  Kranz  from  his  duties  for  four 
weeks  in  case  we  are  desired. 

On  the  back  of  the  letter  Frau  Rath  wrote  as  fol- 
lows : 

The  24th  November,  1778. 

DEAR  SON  :  Merck  was  with  us  three  days.  Now 
that  he  is  gone,  I  look  about  his  room  and  put 
things  in  order — a  work  very  necessary  where  poets 
have  been,  as  you  can  sufficiently  see  from  the  fore- 

*  Wieland  complained  because  Jacobi  gave  him  so  little  assist- 
ance in  carrying  on  the  Mercury,  which  they  had  undertaken 
together. 


64  Goethe  s  Mother. 

going  letter.  For  the  poor  letter  would  have  surely 
lain  here  and  never  reached  its  destination  had 
Frau  Aja  less  insight  into  poets'  ways.  But  she  is, 
thank  God  !  not  yet  out  of  practice,although  Herr 
Wolfgang  Goethe,  for  now  three  years,  no  longer 
gladdens  her  house,  but  lets  his  light  shine  in  Wei- 
mar. Dear  son,  have  the  kindness  to  forward  the 
inclosed  letter.  With  the  Anti-Pope  everything  has 
been  attended  to  :  each  one  has  his  own  way  of  think- 
ing. I  hope  soon  to  hear  good  reports  from  you 
and  your  dear  wife. 

I  am,  although  in  great  haste, 

Eure  wahre  Freundin,* 

GOETHE. 


Johann  Heinrich  Merck  was  the  son  of  an  apothe- 
cary at  Darmstadt,  and  held  there  the  position  of 
paymaster  in  the  army,  with  the  title  of  Kriegsrath, 
which  looks  rather  formidable  if  translated  into  War 
Councillor.  Goethe  made  his  acquaintance  after  his 
return  home  from  Strassburg,  and  Merck  was  among 
the  first  to  recognize  and  thoroughly  appreciate  the 
genius  of  his  friend.  He  urged  the  publication  of 
"  Goetz  von  Berlichingen,"  which  the  two  published 
jointly,  as  they  knew  Goethe's  father  would  give  no 
aid  toward  it,  although  the  old  gentleman  was  proud 
enough  of  it  when  it  appeared. 

Introduced  by  Goethe  to  the  Weimar  circle,  Merck 
at  once  won  the  favorable  opinion  of  the  Duchess 

*  The  feminine  form,  Freundin,  makes  it  clear  who  is  the 
writer,  which  would  not  be  the  case  were  we  to  substitute,  "your 
true  friend,"  Goethe. 


Wieland  to  Frau  Rath.  65 

Amalia  and  of  her  son  the  Duke.  The  latter  availed 
himself  of  Merck's  keen  judgment  in  art  matters, 
and  found  him  a  very  valuable  assistant  in  the 
purchase  of  pictures  and  in  collecting  engravings. 
When  the  Duke  or  the  Duchess  Amalia  made  jour- 
neys to  the  Rhine,  Merck  was  always  in  attendance  to 
accompany  them  to  galleries  and  point  out  the  mer- 
its of  collections.  His  duties  as  paymaster  occu- 
pied but  a  small  portion  of  his  time. 

Merck  had  but  little  productive  talent,  but  was  a 
born  critic,  and  had  a  clear  insight  in  literature  and 
art,  and  was  of  great  service  to  Goethe  at  the  outset 
of  his  career.  Goethe  somewhat  ungenerously  gave 
him  the  sobriquet  of  Mephistopheles,  and  he  is  said 
to  have  furnished  some  traits  for  the  portraiture  of 
that  personage  in  Faust.  Later  in  life  Merck  be- 
came much  interested  in  fossil  bones,  groping  about 
with  great  zeal  in  the  darkness  which  prevailed  on 
that  subject  before  the  classifications  of  Cuvier.  He 
seems  to  have  been  driven  hither  and  thither  by  an 
energetic,  restless  spirit,  and,  at  length,  overwhelmed 
by  the  failure  of  a  commercial  undertaking,  and  tor- 
mented by  an  organic  disease,  he  put  an  end  to  his 
own  life. 

22.    Wieland  to  Frau  Rath. 

DEAREST  FRAU  AjA  :  I  have  had  to-day  to  write 
such  an  enormous  heap  of  wearisome  business  letters  i 
that  I  am  as  tired  as  a  dog,  and  as  dried  up  as  a 
Professor  Moralium.  It  is  therefore  impossible  for 
me  to  write  more  to  my  dear  mother  with  the  Mer- 
cury, which  herewith  waits  upon  her  than  that  her 
last  letter,  written  jointly  with  brother  Merck,  gave 


66  Goethes  Mother. 

me  heartfelt  pleasure.  I  went  at  once  myself  with 
the  letter  for  the  Duchess,  and  as  a  recompense  for 
the  pleasure  your  prose  gave  her  I  passed  a  very 
charming  evening  with  this  truly  incomparable 
woman.  I  have  not  seen  her  in  such  good-humor 
for  7  years  as  on  that  evening.  She  will  meantime 
have  probably  written  herself  to  Eu.  Lbdn,*  as  she 
certainly  counts  upon  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her  be- 
loved Frau  Aja  here  in  the  spring.  In  return, 
Kranz  shall  appear  at  your  house  with  viol  and 
violin,  and  play  so  much  that  is  beautiful  and  new 
to  the  Herr  Rath  (to  whom  my  most  obedient  re- 
spects) that  he  thereby  shall  forget  all  his  suffering. 
Something  further  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight.  For 
the  present,  1000  times  ade,  from 

Your  very  own  son, 

WlELAND. 
W.,  4th  Decemb.,  1778. 

23.    Wieland  to  Merck. 

WEIMAR,  the  gth  Dec.,  1778. 

L.  BR.  :  f  My  little  flock  has  again  increased  itself, 
the  7  hujus,  in  the  afternoon  between  3  and  4,  with 
a  lively,  well-formed  boy,  who  is  all  the  dearer  to 
me  because  he  cost  his  mother  very  little  pain,  and 
slipped  into  the  world  as  lightly  and  nimbly  as  the 
very  devil  himself.  On  the  other  hand,  he  has,  it  is 
true,  no  such  huge  brain-case  as  Louis,  his  elder 
brother  ;  but  as  this  is  a  security  to  me  that  he  will 

*  Abbreviation  for  Euere  Liebden — your  love. 
f  Lieber  Bruder. 


Wieland  to  Merck.         .  67 

be  so  much  the  less  a  poet,  it  is  all  the  more  agree- 
able to  me.  In  short,  he  is  a  very  nice  little  man, 
and,  according  to  all  appearances,  as  happily  or- 
ganized as  one  need  be  to  be  well  off  in  this  world. 
But  now,  L.  Br.,  comes  another  important  point, 
and  this  is,  that  I,  in  order  to  introduce  the  new- 
comer to  the  world  under  so  much  the  better 
auspices,  have  given  thee  and  Frau  Aja  to  him  as 
godparents,  and  I  shall  have  you  both,  ex  consensu 
pr&sumto,  written  down  in  the  church-book  in  this 
capacity  ;  hoping  that  you  will  be  favorably  inclined 
also  toward  this  my  offspring,  out  of  love  to  me, 
and,  as  much  as  God  shall  give  you  opportunity  and 
power,  will  help  to  make  him  an  honest  and  useful 
fellow,  which  you  can  count  upon  being  reciprocated 
by  me  toward  my  little  godchild,  so  long  as  there  is 
in  me  breath  and  motion. 

I  am  now  20  per  cent  better  than  before,  and  if 
it  keeps  on  a  while  in  this  way  I  shall  become  a 
thoroughly  good  patriarch. 

Thy  last  letter,  Herzens  br.  ,*  with  what  thou 
writest  of  thy  feelings  at  the  round  table  in  Casa 
Santa,  and  of  our  Duchess  Amalia's  letters  to 
Frau  Aja,  has  stirred  my  whole  heart.  But  I 
can  say  nothing  to  thee  about  it,  except  that  it 
seems  to  me  as  if  I  could-feel  into  thy  soul  ;  and  I 
wish  that  I  could  kiss  the  scars  which  are  the  cause 
that  a  heart  like  thine  feels  so  strangely  at  every  not 
too  ordinary  expression  of  kindness,  precisely  as  if 
thou  anxiously  fearedst  it  might  be — only  an  illu- 
sion !  Good,  excellent  man  !  What  must  thou  have 

*  Heart's  brother. 


68  Goethe  s  Mother. 

suffered  to  come  to  this  !  With  such  susceptibility 
and  delicate  feeling  for  everything  good  and  pure  in 
human  nature,  Avith  such  a  natural  disposition  to  love 
and  to  devote  thyself  !  I  dare  not  say  any  more 
about  it.  But  if  I  were  to  become  untrue  to  thee,  I 
shall  have  first  poisoned  my  wife  and  strangled  my 
seven  children.  Rely  upon  that  ! 

That  to  me  and  to  all  here,  who  but  hang  to  me 
by  a  thread,  Goethe  has  become  in  very  many 
things  the  greatest  benefit,  I  recognize  daily  more 
and  more,  and  honor  and  love  him  for  it  also,  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart.  Should  Heaven  further 
bless  us  at  Christmas  with  a  prince,  it  will  be  thor- 
oughly well  with  us  ;  were  it  to  be  a  princess,  I 
should  be  sorry  most  for  the  young  Duchess,  who 
seems  to  have  wholly  taken  it  into  her  little  Hessian* 
head  that  it  must  be  a  prince.  Ah,  dear  man  !  God 
grant  thee  further  joy  in  thy  two  jovial  boys,  and  in 
all  belonging  to  thee. 


The  birth  of  Louis,  the  elder  brother,  Wieland 
had  previously  announced  to  Gleim  : 

WEIMAR,  the  30th  October,  1777. 
DEAREST  BROTHER    GLEIM,  AND    DEAR,   DEAR 
SISTER  CLEMINDE  :    In  two  words  only  :  Victory  ! 
Day  before  yesterday  evening,  at  9  o'clock,  we  re- 
ceived a  sound,  pretty,  broad-headed,   large-nosed, 

*  The  Duchess  Louise  was  a  princess  of  Hesse-Darmstadt. 
The  child  was  not  born  until  the  sd  of  February,  1779,  and  was  a 
princess,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years. 


Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Merck.        69 

in  short,  splendid  boy,  in  whom  may  God  grant  us 
to  live  to  have  joy.  It  was  after  a  somewhat  hard 
struggle  of  Nature,  through  which,  God  be  praised, 
mother  and  child  have  passed  most  favorably.  He 
has  a  strong  look  and  a  good,  manly  voice.  It  seems 
to  me  as  if  I  saw  how  all  this  rejoices  you,  dear 
souls.  With  me  it  now  begins  a  Conto  Nuovo.  The 
Duchess  Louise  and  Prince  Constantin  were  the  god- 
parents, and  the  Duke  was  so  kind  as  to  be  present 
in  person  at  the  baptism.  In  return,  the  boy  is 
named  Ludwig  Friedrich  August.  Give  him  an 
uncle's  blessing,  dear  heart's  brother,  and  may  you 
live  to  see  him  become  a  man.  Amen  ! 

Very  much  in  the  same  strain  is  this  letter  from 
the  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Merck  : 

WEIMAR,  the  28th  Dec.,  1778. 

L.  M.  :  *  In  thought  I  have  ever  been  writing  to 
you,  but  as  wise  Mother  Nature  did  not  bestow  upon 
me  such  a  nose-bone  as  she  gave  to  Kaufmann,  by 
virtue  of  which  he  can  do  everything  he  wishes,  I 
have  had  to  submit  to  wishing  only  when  I  can  per- 
form. But  I  do  not  know  of  much  that  is  new  to 
tell  you  from  here.  The  most  interesting  to  us  is 
the  daily  expectation  of  the  Duchess's  confinement. 
Should  it  please  Heaven  to  grant  a  nice  boy,  it  will 
be  a  blessing  for  the  whole  country,  and  I  am  con- 
vinced that  you  will  also  feel  an  interest  in  it. 

Danischmend  f    has  again,   as  you  know,  had  a 

*  Lieber  Merck. 

f  Wieland,  so  called  from  the  title  of  one  of  his  works. 


70  Goethe  s  Mother. 

christening.  Je  cratus  qua  la  fin  il  ne  se  ressente  un 
peu,  the  frequent  confinements  of  his  wife  and  the 
Mercury.*  But  he  seems  to  find  great  pleasure  in 
both,  so  we  must  let  him  alone,  chacun  a  sa  folie. 
We  have  made  a  splendid  acquisition  here  in  an 
original  by  Rubens,  which  I  gave  at  Christmas  to  my 
son  the  Duke.  I  write  nothing  about  it,  because 
you  will  view  it  in  the  spring  with  your  own  art- 
critic's  eyes. 

The  Waterloos  f  I  enjoy  in  anticipation.  Thus- 
nelde  greets  you  with  her  whole  soul. 

I  am  ever  your  sincere  friend, 

AMELIE. 

24.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

DEAR  SON  :  It  is  long,  very  long,  since  we  have 
seen  or  heard  anything  of  you,  my  dear  friend  ;  but 
what  matters  that.  You  are  so  deeply  impressed 
upon  our  hearts,  your  memory  is  so  blessed  among 
us,  your  loving,  friendly  face  is  so  present  before  our 
eyes,  that  no  letters,  no  lifeless  writing  is  necessary 
to  remind  us  that  the  excellent  man  Lavater  was  in 
our  midst,  and  walked  among  us.  What  pleases  me 
least  in  this  work-a-day  world  is  that  the  best  people 
can  be  very  little  to  each  other  :  God's  plan  demands 
that  one  in  the  east,  another  in  the  west  shall  salt 
the  earth  and  keep  it  from  corruption.  My  friends 
and  dear  ones  are  all  far,  far  away  from  me  :  my 
forever-loved  Klettenberg  in  a  better  world,  my 

*  The   number  of  Wieland's   children,  which  finally  reached 
fourteen,  was  the  subject  of  constant  jest  at  Weimar, 
f  Waterloo,  a  Dutch  landscape  painter. 


Frau  Rath  to  Lavater.  71 

Fahlmer  *  in  Emmendingen.  There  may  well  be 
other  good  people  in  Frankfort  ;  perhaps  I  may 
some  time  wonder  in  eternity  that  I  have  mistaken 
them  here  ;  but  for  the  time  being  Frau  Aja  goes 
on  her  way  alone. 

How  are  you,  then,  dear  good  son  ?  How  are 
your  dear  wife  and  children  and  friends  ?  I  hope  that 
all  are  happy  and  well.  God  keep  you  so.  Amen. 

My  husband,  who  sends  his  best  respects  to  you, 
regrets  that  he  must  again  give  you  trouble  with  the 
following.  But  if  you  call  to  mind  the  Herr  Rath's 
great  love  of  order  you  will  readily  see  what  an 
annoyance  an  imperfect  book  must  cause  in  his  col- 
lection (especially  such  an  one  as  the  "  Physiog- 
nomy") ;  and  you  will  not  take  it  amiss  if  he  begs 
you  to  give  the  following  numbers  to  some  one  of 
the  Zurich  merchants  who  come  here  to  the  Easter 
Fair.  First,  the  copper-plates  to  the  4th  part  of 
the  "  Physiognomy/'  promised  through  Hrn  Nu'sch- 
elern,  as  soon  as  possible.  Second,  the  missing 
text  to  the  third  part,  which  Kriegsrath  Merck  sent 
you,  as  well  as — third,  a  few  more  of  the  Herr 
Rath's  portraits  by  Herr  Schmoll. 

Once  more,  forgive  the  great  trouble  and  plague. 

Your  brother  Wolf  is,  thank  God,  very  well  in 
Weimar.  The  Duchess  Mother  was  here  last  sum- 
mer— an  excellent  woman,  believe  me  on  my  word  ; 
a  great  and  noble  human  feeling  animates  her  whole 
soul,  but  she  does  not  prate  nor  vaunt  herself,  as  so 
many  mock  sentimental  persons  are  wont  to  do. 

Now,  dear  Lavater,  God's  blessing  upon  you  and 

*  Johanna  Fahlmer,  who  had  married  Schlosser. 


72  Goethes  Mother. 

all  yours.     Greet  all  who  still  think  of  us,  and  be  as- 
sured that  I  to  the  end  of  my  pilgrimage  am, 
Your  true  friend  and  faithful  mother, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 
FRANKFORT,  the  23d  February,  1779. 


"  The  friend  and  confidante  of  the  Frau  Rath  was 
the  pious,  intelligent  Fraulein  von  Klettenberg.  '  In 
her  and  in  my  mother,'  says  Goethe,  '  I  had  two 
excellent  guides  ;  I  called  them  Rath  und  That 
(Word  and  Deed)  ;  for  when  the  former  cast  her 
serene,  nay  blessed  glance  over  earthly  things,  that 
which  had  perplexed  the  rest  of  us  mortals  readily 
unravelled  itself  before  her,  and  she  could  almost 
always  point  out  the  right  way,  for  the  reason  that 
she  looked  down  into  the  labyrinth  from  above,  and 
was  not  herself  entangled  in  it  ;  then,  when  a  deci- 
sion was  once  made  we  could  rely  upon  my  mother's 
readiness  and  energy.  As  sight  aided  the  former, 
so  faith  came  to  the  assistance  of  the  latter,  and  as 
she  retained  her  serenity  in  all  circumstances,  she 
was  never  wanting  in  expedients  for  accomplishing 
what  was  proposed  or  desired.'  When  Goethe  in 
'  Wilhelm  Meister  '  had  thrown  the  letters  and  con- 
versations of  Fraulein  von  Klettenberg  into  the  form 
of  the  '  Bekenntnisse  einer  schonen  Seele  '  (Confes- 
sions of  a  Beautiful  Soul),  the  Frau  Rath  copied 
with  her  own  hand,  for  her  son,  from  the  '  Theo- 
logische  Annalen,'  a  review  of  those  pages,  and 
added  the  following  words  :  '  My  criticism  is  Psalm 
i  :  3 — His  leaf  also  shall  not  wither.'  It  certainly  did 


Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia.     73 

not  occur  to  my  dear  Klettenberg  that,  after  so  long 
a  time,  her  memory  should  still  grow  green  and 
blossom,  and  bring  blessings  to  after  generations. 
Thou,  my  dear  son,  wast  destined  by  Providence 
for  the  preservation  and  dissemination  of  these  un- 
fading leaves.  God's  blessing  and  a  thousand  thanks 
for  it  ;  and  as  it  is  clearly  to  be  seen  from  this  narra- 
tive that  no  good  seed  is  lost,  but  bears  fruit  in  its 
season,  let  us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing,  for  the 
harvest  will  reward  us  with  full  barns."  (Frau  Rath, 
Briefwechsel,  etc.,  by  Dr.  Keil). 

25.  Frau  Rath  to  the  Duchess  Anna  Avtalia. 

FRANKFORT,  the  nth  April,  1779. 
MOST  SERENE  PRINCESS  :  To  judge  by  the  appe- 
tite of  my  Saturday  maidens,*  the  little  biscuits 
must  be  gone  long  ago.  I  take  now  the  great  lib- 
erty to  send  your  Serene  Highness  another  small 
stock.  Dear  Princess,  do  not  take  my  freedom 
unkindly.  With  us  it  is  fair-time  !  !  !  !  Weit- 
maulige  Laffen,  feilschen  und  gaffen,  gaffen  und 
kaufen,  Bestienhaufen,  Kinder  und  Fratzen,  Affen 
und  Katzen,  etc.f  Yet  speak  with  respect,  Frau 
Aja  !  Madame  La  Roche  is  here  too  !  Dearest 
Princess,  could  Doctor  Wolf  only  see  the  son-in- 

*  "  Meine  Samstagsmadel."  The  Saturday  circle  of  young  girls 
previously  alluded  to. 

f  From  Goethe's  "  Jahrmarkt  zu  Plundersweilern."  "Wide- 
mouthed  coxcombs, higgling  and  staring,  staring  and  buying,  pack 
of  brutes,  children  and  frights,  monkeys  and  cats,  etc."  These  are 
the  growls  of  the  gypsy  captain  looking  on  at  the  fair,  and  longing 
to  lead  on  his  band  to  sack  and  plunder  it. 


74  Goethe  s  Mother. 

law  whom  the  authoress  of  Sternheim  wants  to  hang 
on  to  her  second  daughter,  he  would,  according  to 
his  former  laudable  habit,  gnash  his  teeth,  and 
swear  right  godlessly.  Yesterday  she  presented 
the  monster  to  me.  Great  Heavens !  !  !  I  if  he 
would  make  me  Queen  of  the  Earth  (America  in- 
cluded), then — yes,  even  then,  I  should  refuse 
him.*  He  looks  like  the  devil  in  the  /th  ques- 
tion in  Luther's  small  catechism,  is  as  stupid  as  a 
grasshopper,  and,  to  add  to  all  his  ill-luck,  is  a  Hof- 
rath  (Court  Councillor).  If  I  comprehend  anything 
of  all  this  rubbish,  may  I  become  an  oyster.  A 
woman  like  La  Roche,  certainly,  of  no  ordinary 
understanding,  with  moderate  gifts  of  fortune,  of 
respectability,  rank,  etc.,  who  sets  directly  about 
making  her  daughters  unhappy,  and  yet  writes 
Sternheims  and  Frauenzimmer  Briefe  (young  ladies' 
letters)  ;  in  one  word,  my  head  turns  round  like  a 
mill.  Your  Serene  Highness  will  pardon  me  relat- 
ing all  this,  but  I  have  the  adventurer  right  before 
my  eyes,  and  good  Louisa's  tears  I  cannot  stand. 

The  holiday  has  surely  passed  over  successfully  ; 
I  too  hope  to  learn  something  about  it.  Fraulein 
Thusnelde  has  a  very  charming  gift  for  describing 
such  festivities,  and  I  trust  she  will  maintain  her 
reputation  and  let  Frau  Aja  hear  something  about 
it,  for  she  described  the  Jahrmarktsfest  capitally. 
Should  she  do  so,  your  Serene  Highness  will  be 
gracious  enough  to  present  her  with  a  share  of  the 

*  "  Ja,  so  gebe  ich  ihm  einen  Korb  ;"  literally,  I  should  give  him 
a  basket,  a  German  colloquialism  signifying  "  to  refuse  a  suitor;" 
a  similar  expression,  "  to  give  the  mitten,"  is  current  in  some  parts 
of  the  United  States. 


Merck  to  his   Wife.  75 

biscuits.  The  father  commends  himself  to  further 
gracious  favor,  and  Frau  Aja,  who  is  never  so  happy 
as  when  she  thinks  of  the  greatest,  most  excellent, 
most  amiable,  best  of  princesses,  kisses  in  reverence 
and  humility  the  hand  of  her  dearest  Princess,  and 
remains  to  the  grave, 

Her  Serene  Highness's  obedient  servant, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 

The  monster  is  named   Mohr,  and  is  actual  Court 
Councillor  to  the  Elector  of  Treves. 


Should  the  reader  find  the  conclusion  of  the  above 
letter  somewhat  strongly  expressed,  he  must  bear  in 
mind  that,  as  I  have  already  said,  in  the  last  century 
adulation  was  thought  polite,  as  has  been  pointed 
out  by  Lord  Houghton,  in  speaking  of  no  less  dis- 
tinguished a  person  than  Alexander  von  Humboldt. 

Following  the  Frau  Rath's  letter  about  the  mar- 
riage of  Madame  de  la  Roche's  second  daughter, 
Louise,  we  place  Merck's  letter  to  his  wife  about  that 
of  the  first  daughter,  Maximiliane  : 

Merck  to  his  Wife. 

DARMSTADT,  2Qth  Jan.,  17/4. 

I  was,  last  week,  at  Frankfort  to  see  our  friend  De 
la  Roche.  She  has  made  a  very  singular  marriage 
for  her  daughter.  The  husband  is  moderately  young, 
but  is  burdened  with  5  children.  For  the  rest,  he  is 
sufficiently  rich,  but  a  merchant  who  has  few  ideas 
beyond  his  business.  It  was  a  sad  event  to  me  to 


76  Goethe  s  Mother. 

go  to  visit  our  friend  amid  barrels  of  herrings  and 
cheeses.  It  seems  that  she  (La  Roche)  allowed  her- 
self to  be  persuaded  by  M.  Dumeiz,  who  considered 
nothing  but  the  fortune,  and  the  particular  advan- 
tage for  himself  to  have  an  agreeable  house  to  visit. 
Thou  shouldst  have  seen  Madame  de  la  Roche 
making  head  against  the  idle  talk  and  jocularity  of 
these  stout  merchants  :  enduring  their  magnificent 
dinners,  and  trying  to  amuse  their  Dulnesses.  There 
have  been  terrible  scenes,  and  I  do  not  know  but  she 
may  be  overwhelmed  under  the  burden  of  her  regrets. 
Goethe  is  already  the  friend  of  the  family  ;  he  plays 
with  the  children,  and  accompanies  Madame's  harp- 
sichord with  the  bass-viol.  M.  Brentano,  although 
rather  jealous  for  an  Italian,  is  fond  of  him,  and 
wishes  positively  that  he  should  frequent  the  house." 


The  early  history  of  Sophie  dela  Roche  is  a  singu- 
lar one.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a  Dr.  Gutermann, 
of  Augsburg.  In  her  seventeenth  year  she  was  be- 
trothed to  an  Italian  physician,  Bianconi,  of  Bologna, 
one  of  her  father's  students.  The  preparations  had 
all  been  made  for  the  marriage,  when  Bianconi  sud- 
denly made  a  demand  that  the  children  should  all  be 
brought  up  in  the  Roman  Church,  instead  of  the 
daughters  following  the  mother  and  the  sons  the 
father,  as  was  then  customary  in  mixed  marriages. 
This  was  too  much  for  Dr.  Gutermann,  a  zealous 
Protestant,  to  whom  the  difference  of  religion  had 
always  seemed  an  obstacle.  He  burst  into  a  great 
rage,  forbade  Bianconi  his  house,  and  declared  the 
whole  matter  at  an  end.  Sophie,  although  heart- 


Sophie  de  la  Roche.  77 

broken,  refused  to  marry  without  her  father's  con- 
sent, and  Bianconi  returned  to  Bologna,  let  us  hope, 
a  wiser  man. 

After  this  Sophie  was  sent  to  her  grandparents  at 
Biberach,  and  on  the  death  of  her  grandfather  re- 
moved to  the  house  of  Pastor  Wieland,  whose  wife 
was  her  father's  cousin.  In  the  summer  the  pastor's 
son,  the  afterward  so  celebrated  poet,  came  home 
for  his  vacation.  They  fell  in  love  with  each  other, 
whereupon  Dr.  Gutermann  sends  for  his  daughter  to 
return  home,  where  he  and  the  step-mother,  who  in 
the  mean  time  has  been  brought  into  the  family,  daily 
repeat  to  her  that  she  must  get  married.  Under  these 
circumstances,  as  a  marriage  was  impossible  with 
Wieland,  the  son  of  a  poor  country  pastor,  and  but 
seventeen  years  of  age,  she  accepts  the  hand  of  Hof- 
rath  de  la  Roche,  who,  so  far  from  being  daunted  by 
the  explicit  avowal  of  her  disappointments,  is  only 
the  more  incited  to  rescue  her  from  her  unhappy  sit- 
uation. 

Madame  de  la  Roche  became  one  of  the  leading 
writers  in  the  sentimental  school  then  prevailing. 
She  was  lavish  of  emotion  in  her  writings,  but  in  her 
treatment  of  her  daughters  she  seemed  not  unlike 
her  father.  We  would  gladly  find  some  explanation 
or  palliation  of  her  inconsistency,  which  is  a  frequent 
subject  of  jest  in  the  letters  of  the  Frau  Rath  and  of 
the  Duchess  Amalia,  but  her  biographers  do  not 
suggest  for  her  any  excuses. 

Her  first  novel  had  a  great  success,  passing 
through  nine  editions  ;  two  French  translations  ap- 
pared,  and  two  English  ones,  with  the  title,  "  Me- 
moirs of  Miss  Sophie  Sternheim." 


7  8  Goethes  Mother. 

In  1786  she  made  a  journey  to  England,  where  she 
was  taken  to  see  Miss  Burney,  who  was  at  that  time 
wearing  herself  out  in  the  service  of  Queen  Charlotte. 
Miss  Burney  gives  of  her  in  her  Diary  a  striking  pic- 
ture. The  scene  is  in  her  best  manner,  but  we  are 
concerned  only  with  the  part  relating  to  Wieland. 
"  She  is  now  bien  passe'e,'1  writes  Miss  Burney,  "  yet 
has  a  voice  of  touching  sweetness,  eyes  of  dove-like 
gentleness,  looks  supplicating  for  favor,  and  an  air 
and  demeanor  the  most  tenderly  caressing.  I  can 
suppose  she  has  thought  herself,  all  her  life,  the 
model  of  the  favorite  heroine  of  her  own  favorite 
romance,  and  I  can  readily  believe  that  she  had  at- 
tractions, in  her  youth,  nothing  short  of  fascinating." 
Madame  la  Fite  announced  that  her  friend  had  had 
the  most  extraordinary  life  and  adventures  that  had 
fallen  to  anybody's  lot.  Madame  La  Roche  replied 
that  they  were,  in  their  early  part,  so  connected  with 
M.  Wieland,  the  famous  author,  that  they  would  not 
be  intelligible  without  his  story. 

"  Eh  bien  !  Ma  tres-chere,  contez  nous  done  un  peu 
de  ses  aventures  •  ma  cJiere  Miss  Burney,  c  ttoit  son 
amant  et  I '  homme  le  plus  extraordinaire — d'jin  genie  ! 
d'unfeu  /  Eh  bien,ma  chere  ?  ou  I '  avez-vous  rencontre'? 
ou  est-ce  quit  a  commence'  a  vous  aimer  ?  contez-nous 
un  peu  de  tout  $a. ' ' 

"  Madame  La  Roche,  looking  down  upon  her  fan, 
then  began  the  recital.  She  related  their  first  inter- 
view, the  gradations  of  their  mutual  attachment,  his 
extraordinary  talents,  his  literary  fame  and  name  ; 
the  breach  of  their  union  from  motives  of  prudence 
in  their  friends  ;  his  change  of  character  from  piety 
to  voluptuousness,  in  consoling  himself  for  her  loss 


Frazilein  von  G'ochhauscn  to  Frail  Rath.     79 

with  an  actress  ;  his  various  adventures,  and  various 
transformations  from  good  to  bad,  in  life  and  con- 
duct ;  her  own  marriage  with  M.  de  la  Roche,  their 
subsequent  meeting,  when  she  was  mother  of  three 
children,  and  all  the  attendant  circumstances. 

"  This  narrative  was  told  in  so  touching  and  pa- 
thetic a  manner,  and  interspersed  with  so  many  sen- 
timents of  tenderness  and  of  heroism,  that  I  could 
scarcely  believe  I  was  not  actually  listening  to  a 
Clelia  or  a  Cassandra  recounting  the  stories  of  her 
youth." 

26.  Frdulcin  von  Gbchhausen  to  Fran  Rath. 
WEIMAR,  the  i2th  April,  1779. 

GOOD,  DEAR,  DARLING  MOTHER  :  It  seems  to 
me  very  long  since  I  have  written  to  you,  and  still 
longer  since  I  saw  a  letter  from  you,  except,  now 
and  then,  whatever  good  souls,  like  the  Duchess  and 
Wieland  let  me  see,  out  of  compassion.  This  mis- 
fortune is  the  fault  solely  and  alone  of  a  very  unwel- 
come and  tedious  illness,  which  sorely  plagued  me, 
and  sometimes  even  made  me  think  the  tender  body 
would  no  longer  contain  the  mighty  spirit.  And  as 
this  seemed  to  me  very  inopportune,  there  smoked 
sacrifices  and  burnt-offerings  to  the  stern  goddess 
Hygeia  ;  and  she  had  compassion  upon  my  weak- 
ness, and  I  now  wander  on  again  in  peace  and  joy, 
and  express  my  thanks  by  my  enjoyment  of  the 
lovely,  heart-quickening  spring.  A  whole  page 
about  nothing  but  my  own  insignificant  self :  attrib- 
ute it  to  the  weakness  which  still  remains,  and  for- 
give in  love. 


8o  Goethe  s  Mother. 

I  surely  trust  that  the  Herr  Doctor,  in  accordance 
with  his  duty,  has  sent  or  is  sending  his  admirable 
Iphigenia.  I  will  therefore  refrain  from  all  chat 
about  it,  and  only  say  this  much,  that  he  played  his 
Orestes  in  a  masterly  manner.  His  costume,  as 
well  as  that  of  Pylades,  was  Greek,  and  I  have  never 
before  in  my  life  seen  him  so  handsome.  Alto- 
gether the  whole  piece  was  so  well  played  that  the 
King  and  Queen  might  have  said,  "  Dear  lion,  roar 
again  !" 

To-day  it  is  to  be  performed  again,  and  as  heartily 
as  I  rejoice  in  the  thought  of  it,  yet  believe  me 
that  I  should  be  delighted  if  I  could  give  my  place 
to  the  mother's  heart. 

We  are  expecting  now  soon  our  good  Merck.  We 
all,  you  may  be  sure,  rejoice  heartily  at  the  thought 
of  it.  The  Duchess  has  written  him  that  all  the 
roasting-jacks  are  being  examined,  in  order,  from  that 
quarter,  at  least,  to  give  no  treat  to  his  critical  nose. 

As  for  you,  dear  mother,  we  can  see  you  in  no 
other  way  except  that  we  must  come  again  to  Frank- 
fort.* Well,  I  swear  by  nothing,  mountain  or  val- 
ley, etc.,  only  do  not  be  frightened  if,  some  time,  a 
post-chaise  and  six  should  stop  before  your  door  ! 

Our  dear  Princess  greets  father  and  mother  a 
thousand  times,  and  I  live  and  die  my  Frau  Aja's 
faithful 

THUSNELDE. 


*  The  proposed  visit  of  the  Frau  Rath  to  Weimar  with  Merck, 
so  often  alluded  to  in  the  preceding  letters,  did  not  take  place ; 
probably  the  Herr  Rath's  state  of  health  not  admitting  of  his  wife's 
absence. 


Duchess  Anna  A  malm  to  Frau  Rath.     81 


27.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath. 

WEIMAR,  the  2ist  April,  '79. 

DEAR,  BEST  MOTHER  :  I  am  in  possession  of  two 
of  your  dear  letters,  and  two  boxes  of  biscuit  which 
came  with  them,  for  which  I  send  you  many  thanks. 

The  intelligence  you  communicate  to  me  in  regard 
to  the  marriage  of  the  La  Roche's  youngest  daugh- 
ter is  so  amazing  that  the  senses  stand  still.  I  sent 
your  letter  to  Doctor  Wolff  ;  but  as  court-life  has 
made  him  very  well-behaved,  he  did  not  gnash  his 
teeth,  and  still  less  swore,  but  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders over  the  lamentable  adventure.  We  are  all 
curious  to  know  the  name  of  the  man  whose  victim 
the  poor  Louise  is  to  become.  In  this  case  the 
proverb  speaks  truly  :  Do  as  I  say,  not  as  I  do  ;  for 
her  *  emotions  as  set  down  in  black  and  white  are  far 
distant  from  her  heart. 

The  holiday  passed  over  successfully,  of  which 
Thusnelde  has  given  you  an  account.  Shortly  after 
it  f  was  repeated,  and  with  the  same  applause.  I 
think  he  will  send  you  the  entire  piece,  and  then  you 
will  see  for  yourself  how  beautiful  and  admirable  it 
is,  and  how  very  worthy  of  him.  You  would  be 
glad  to  know,  dear  mother,  who  made  my  silhou- 
ette ?  It  was  your  Herr  Sohn  who  drew  it  in  the 
large,  and  his  faithful  Philip  who  manufactured  it  in 
the  small  :  this  is  the  whole  riddle.  Toward  the  end 
of  May  I  think  Merck  will  be  here  ;  he  is  to  stay 
with  me  in  Ettersburg.  Ah  !  mother,  mother,  you 

*  Viz.,   Frau  La  Roche's.  \  "Iphigenia." 


82  Goethes  Mother. 

doubtless  guess  my  thoughts.*  How  is  the  old 
father  ?  He  is  said  not  to  be  well  ;  greet  him  from 
me,  and  that  a  thousand  times.  Farewell,  best 
mother  ;  hold  me  dear,  and  think  frequently  of  your 
friend  AMELIE. 


28.  Frdulein  von  Gochhausen  to  Frau  Rath. 

WEIMAR,  the  2ist  May. 

Your  letter  and  dear  interest  in  my  being  still  on 
this  beautiful,  newly  adorned  earth  rejoiced  my 
heart  and  soul.  Certainly,  dear  mother,  you  have 
already  contributed  very  much  to  the  joy  and  de- 
light of  my  life,  and  I  am  certainly  thankful  for  it  ; 
and  had  you  even  done  me  no  further  favor,  it  would 
be  already  enough  to  make  this  earth  dearer,  when 
one  knows  that  one  walks  about  on  it  with  such  a 
hearty,  excellent  woman  as  you  are. 

Iphigenia  must  have  come  at  last.  I  at  least 
have  daily  admonished  the  Doctor  and  Philip  about 
it,  and,  as  far  as  I  know,  it  has  already  long  ago  set 
out  on  its  journey.  It' will  be  a  blessed  day  when 
you  sit  there  together  and  enjoy  yourselves  over  it. 
But  let  the  Doctor's  health  be  drunk  at  the  same 
time  in  the  best  and  oldest  wine.  He  and  his  Iphi- 
genia surely  deserve  it. 

We  have  now  been  a  week,  with  sack  and  pack, 
again  in  our  dear  Ettersburg.  It  is,  Heaven  knows, 
a  beautiful  life,  thus  to  live  amid  wood,  mountain, 
and  vale  !  Our  dearest  Duchess  is  here  also,  well 


*  Her  disappointment  that  the  Frau  Rath  was  not  coming  with 
Merck  (?). 


Fraulein  von  G'ockhauscn  to  Frau  Rath.    83 

and  happy.  God  keep  her  so  :  she  deserves  it  so 
much  ! 

Yesterday  the  Hr.  Geh.  Leg.  Rath  *  had  per- 
formed for  us  here  a  drama,  Die  Launen  der  Ver- 
liebten,  which  he  says  he  wrote  in  his  eighteenth 
year,  and  has  made  but  few  changes  in  it.  It  is  com- 
posed of  only  four  persons,  who  were  represented 
by  the  Doctor,  Einsiedel,  Mile.  v.  Woelwarth,  and 
Mile.  Schroeder.  It  is  in  one  act,  with  a  few  airs 
which  Kammerherr  (Chamberlain)  Seckendorff  has 
composed.  It  was  very  well  played  indeed,  and  we 
were  the  whole  day  merry  and  in  good  spirits. 

We  are  now  living  in  constant  expectation  of  our 
Merck.  We  think  of  him  when  we  awake  and  when 
we  go  to  sleep  ;  and  when  it  rains  or  the  wind  blows 
a  little  stronger,  you  should  hear  the  lamentation  ! 
Poor  Merck  !  now  perhaps  he  will  be  wet  !  The 
wind  will  make  riding  on  his  horse  disagreeable  to 
him  !  And  if  the  sun  shines,  it  doubly  rejoices  us  on 
his  account.  So  it  goes  all  day  long.  If  he  would 
only  come  very  soon  !  The  Doctor  rides  to  Erfurt  to 
meet  him.  Good  old  Wieland  is  now  out  here  with 
us  on  our  mountain  ;  he  greets  his  heartily  beloved 
Frau  Aja  with  his  whole  soul  ! 

The  painter  May  is  now  painting  in  Weimar,  and 
has  already  produced  a  whole  multitude  of  faces. 
Hatschelhans  f  has  also  had  himself  painted.  I 
have  not  yet  seen  it,  but  it  is  said  to  be  good.:}: 

Our  Duchess  greets  heartily   father  and  mother. 

*  Viz.,  Herr  Geheimer  Legations  Rath,  Goethe, 
f  See  letter  No.  20,  note. 

\  An  engraving  from  this  portrait  is  given  in  Lewes'  "  Life  of 
Goethe,"  vol.  i,  first  edition. 


84  Goethe  s  Mother. 

Krauss  has  now  all  sorts  of  things  to  do,  but  will  per- 
haps soon  let  something  be  heard  and  seen  from  him. 

To  the  father,  my  fairest  greeting  !  and  for  you, 
dearest  woman,  my  best  kiss  from  your 

Forever  faithful 

Excuse  the  blots  !  !  !  LOUISE  G. 

(Postscripts  from  Wieland  and  the  Duchess.) 

Dear  little  mother,  we  are  here  with  your  and  our 
Duchess,  the  sole  Queen  forever  of  our  free  hearts, 
on  the  lofty  Ettersburg. 

Und  Leben  da,  feme  vom  Erdengetilmmel, 
Das  seelige  Leben  der  Cotter  im  Himmel  ;* 

except  that  it  is  d — d  foul,  unfriendly  weather.  Ay  ! 
were  but  Mother  Aja  also  with  us  !  For  Merck  we 
wait  as  a  dry  land  for  rain,  Sela  !  Yesterday,  a  little 
drama  of  brother  Wolff's  first  growth  made  me  twenty- 
five  years  younger.  For  you  know,  surely,  that  we 
have  a  little  theatre  here  in  Ettersburg,  as  pretty  as 
you  can  fancy  ;  and  that  we  here — but  why  should  I 
gossip  to  you  of  all  our  joys  ?  It  only  makes  your 
heart  heavy.  Ade,  f  dear  mother,  with  my  best 
compliments  to  the  dear  good  papa  !  Hold  in  good 
remembrance  your  son,  WlELAND. 

Dear  mother,  I  and  my  donkeys  are  here  too.  \ 

AMELIE. 

*  And  are  living  here  far  from  the  tumults  of  earth,  the  blissful 
life  of  the  gods  in  heaven. 

f  Adieu. 

^"Liebe  Mutter,  ich  und  meine  Esel  sind  auch  da."  (Jahr- 
markt  zu  Plundersweilern.) 


Wieland  to  Merck.  85 

In  connection  with  May's  portrait  of  Goethe  there 
is  the  interesting  circumstance  that  Wieland  read  to 
him  during  the  sitting  the  first  half  of  "  Oberon," 
upon  which  he  was  engaged. 

Wieland  thus  describes  it,  in  his  enthusiastic  way, 
in  a  letter  to  Merck,  dated  at  Weimar,  August  1st, 
1779: 

'  The  past  week  I  had  a  very  good  day  with 
Goethe.  He  and  I  have  had  to  make  up  our  minds 
to  sit  to  Rath  May,  who,  ex  voto  the  Duchess  of 
Wiirtemburg,  was  to  take  our  portraits  for  her  Serene 
Highness.  Goethe  sat  morning  and  afternoon,  and 
begged  me,  as  Sercnissimus  *  was  absent,  to  keep 
him  company  during  this  tiresome  sitting,  and  for 
mental  entertainment  to  read  '  Oberon  '  to  him.  By 
good  fortune  it  so  happened  that  on  that  day  this 
man,  who  is  almost  always  in  a  fume,  was  in  his  best 
and  most  receptive  mood,  and  as  easily  amused  as  a 
girl  of  sixteen.  In  all  the  days  of  my  life  I  have 
never  seen  any  one  so  pleased  with  the  work  of 
another  as  he  was  with  '  Oberon,'  throughout,  and 
particularly  with  the  5th  canto,  in  which  Huon 
acquits  himself  of  the  imperial  mandate.  It  was  a 
truejouissance  for  me,  as  thou  canst  readily  think. 
A  few  days  after  he  acknowledged  to  me  himself 
that  perhaps  in  three  years  he  might  not  come  again 
into  such  a  degree  of  receptivity  and  openness  of 
every  sense  for  an  opus  hujus  furfuris  et  farince. " 

That  Wieland  does  not  exaggerate  here  we  know 
from  what  Goethe  later  on  wrote  to  Lavater  : 

*  The  Duke. 


86  Goethe's  Mother. 

"As  long  as  poetry  remains  poetry,  gold  gold,  and 
crystal  crystal,  his  '  Oberon  '  will  be  beloved  and  ad- 
mired as  a  masterpiece  of  the  poetic  art."  (Goethe 
to  Lavater,  July  3d,  1780.) 

29.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Merck. 

ETTERSBURG,  the  2d  Aug.,  '79. 
Your  letter,  L.  M.,*  the  diary,  to  Thusnelda,  of 
your  journey,  was  received,  opened,  and  read  (to 
speak  like  Frau  Aja)  with  a  great  shout  of  joy.  L.  M., 
you  cannot  think  how  infinitely  you  have  obliged 
me,  that  after  all  your  fatigues  and  adventures  you 
have  nevertheless  taken  your  pen  to  show  us  that 
you  think  of  Ettersburg.  I  feel  it,  yet  not  a  la 
Roche ;  it  lies  deeper  in  my  heart.  You  have  seen 
the  dear  Sophie  !  f  Spoken  with  her  !  O  Merck, 
Merck  !  a  sentimental  journey  !  What,  then,  were 
my  Marshal's:}:  feelings  on  seeing  her?  Was  he  not 
quite  Yorick  ?  Did  not  his  sorrel  horse  appear  to 
him  in  that  moment  as  the  unlucky  Desobligeant 
appeared  to  the  latter  ? 

30.   Goethe  to  his  Mother. 

My  desire  to  see  you  once  more  has  up  to  this 
time  been  held  in  check  by  the  circumstances  which 
made  my  presence  here  more  or  less  necessary.  But 
now  an  opportunity  may  present  itself,  in  regard  to 
which,  however,  I  must,  before  all,  ask  for  the  strict- 

*  Lieber  Merck.  f  Madame  La  Roche. 

$  Hofmarschall  Einsiedel,  who  accompanied  Merck. 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  87 

est  secrecy.  The  Duke  has  a  fancy  to  enjoy  the 
beautiful  autumn  on  the  Rhine.  He  wishes  that  I 
should  go  with  him,  and  Kammerhr  *  Wedel,  and 
that  we  should  alight  at  your  house  ;  but,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  friends  at  the  fair,  remain  a  few  days 
only,  and  then  continue  on  by  water.  Afterward 
he  proposes  that  we  should  return  and  take  up 
our  abode  with  you,  so  as  from  thence  to  visit  the 
neighborhood.  Whether  you  take  this  prosaically 
or  poetically,  it  is  really  the  dot  on  the  i  of  your 
whole  past  life,  and  for  the  first  time  I  return  to  my 
home  well  and  happy,  and  with  all  possible  honor. 
But  as  I  should  like,  since  the  wine  has  turned  out 
so  well  on  the  mountains  of  Samaria,  f  that  there 

*  Kammerherr  (Chamberlain). 

f  "  Since  the  wine  has  turned  out  so  well  on  the  mountains  of 
Samaria."  This  is  an  allusion  to  a  passage  in  the  Bible  which 
was  of  great  comfort  to  Goethe's  mother,  at  a  time  when  her  son 
was  dangerously  ill.  The  Frau  Rath  was  accustomed  (as  was  very 
common  in  her  day,  and  is  not  uncommon  in  ours)  to  resort  in 
times  of  anxiety  to  the  Bible,  and  to  take  as  an  oracular  message 
the  first  passage  which  should  meet  her  eye  on  opening  it.  Goethe 
thus  writes  to  Frau  von  Stein,  on  the  gth  of  Dec.,  1777:  "It  is  just 
about  this  time,  a  few  days  more  or  less,  that  I,  nine  years  ago, 
was  ill  unto  death.  My  mother  then,  in  the  exceeding  need  of 
her  heart,  opened  her  Bible,  and  found,  as  she  afterward  told  me, 
this  passage  :  '  Man  wird  wiederum  Weinberge  pflanzen  an  den 
Bergen  Samaria,  pflanzen  wird  man  und  dazu  pfeifen.'  (They  shall 
again  plant  vineyards  on  the  mountains  of  Samaria  ;  they  shall 
plant  and  pipe  thereto.)"  The  Frau  Rath  interpreted  this  as  an 
assurance  of  her  son's  recovery.  We  give  a  literal  translation  of  it 
from  the  German,  as,  in  the  English  version  (Jeremiah  31  :  5), 
there  is  nothing  said  of  piping,  without  which  Goethe's  allusion 
would  be  unintelligible. 

In  regard  to  the  preceding  letter  Dl'mzer  remarks:  "Seldom 
indeed  has  to  so  loving  a  mother  such  happiness  been  granted  as 
this  letter  must  have  brought  to  Frau  Aja.  Her  belief  in  her 


88  Goethe's  Mother. 

should  be  piping  also,  I  will  hope  for  nothing  less 
than  that  you  and  my  father  should  have  open  and 
feeling  hearts  to  receive  us,  and  to  thank  God,  who 
in  such  a  manner  lets  you  see  your  son  again,  in  his 
thirtieth  year.  As  I  have  withstood  all  temptation 
to  slip  away  from  here,  and  to  surprise  you,  I  Avish 
to  enjoy  this  journey  fully  to  my  heart's  content. 
The  impossible  I  do  not  expect.  God  has  not 
willed  that  my  father  should  enjoy  the  fruits  so 
ardently  longed  for,  which  are  now  ripe  ;  He  has 
taken  his  appetite  from  him,  and  so  it  must  be.  I 
will  gladly  ask  nothing  from  that  quarter  but  what- 
ever demeanor  the  humor  of  the  moment  may  sug- 
gest to  him.*  But  you  I  would  see  right  joyous, 
and  would  wish  you  such  a  good  day  as  you  have 
never  yet  known.  I  have  everything  that  a  man  can 
desire — a  life  in  which  I  daily  educate  myself,  and 
daily  grow — and  I  come  this  time  well,  without  pas- 
sion, without  perplexity,  without  vain  stirring,  but 
like  one  beloved  of  God,  who  has  passed  the  half  of 
his  days,  and  hopes  out  of  past  sorrow  much  good 
for  the  future  ;  and  has  also  proved  his  heart  for 
future  sorrow.  If  I  find  you  happy  I  shall  return 
with  joy  to  the  labor  and  toil  of  the  day  which  await 
me.  Answer  me  immediately  in  full.  We  come,  at 
all  events,  in  the  middle  of  September  ;  the  details 


Wolfgang  and  his  destiny  had  not  been  brought  to  nought  ;  he 
who  had  left  his  native  city  in  the  perplexity  of  passion  had  man- 
fully fought  through  it  at  Weimar,  where  he  was  blessed  with  the 
love  and  honor  of  the  best  and  noblest,  and  he  had  ripened  to  true 
repose  of  soul  without  forfeiting  the  bold  spirit  and  the  fresh  glow 
of  youth."  (Dilnzer.  Frauenbilder  aus  Goethe's  Tugendzeit.) 
*  The  Herr  Rath  had  become  much  broken  in  mind. 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  89 

you  shall  know,  down  to  the  smallest  particular,  as 
soon  as  I  have  a  reply  to  this.  But  inviolable 
secrecy,  for  the  present,  toward  my  father,  Merck, 
etc.  Our  arrival  must  be  a  surprise  to  all  ;  I  de- 
pend upon  this.  No  one  here  yet  suspects  anything 
of  it.  The  Qth  Aug.,  1779.  G. 

How  I  have  planned  our  quarters,  and  what  we 
need,  etc.,  shall  all  follow  in  my  next  letter,  when 
you  have  first  written  me  your  ideas. 


31.   Goethe  to  his  Mother. 

Such  a  reply  I  wished  from  you,  dear  mother.  I 
hope  it  will  all  prove  very  pleasant  and  delightful. 
So,  then,  more  particular  information  of  our  coming. 
We  are  to  arrive  about  the  middle  of  September,  and 
remain  with  you  a  few  days,  very  quietly.  For,  as 
the  Duke  does  not  wish  to  see  his  aunts  and  cousins 
who  will  beat  the  fair,  we  shall  go  right  on,  and  float 
down  the  Main  and  Rhine.  When  we  have  com- 
pleted our  tour  we  come  back  and  take  up  in  forma 
our  quarters  with  you.  I  shall  then  call  to  mind  all 
my  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  the  Duke  will  go 
to  Darmstadt,*  and  visit  a  few  of  the  nobility  in  the 
neighborhood.  Our  quarters  will  be  arranged  as  fol- 
lows :  For  the  Duke,  a  bed  will  be  made  in  the  little 
room,  and  the  organ,  if  it  still  stands  there,  moved 
out.  The  large  room  remains  for  visitors  and  as  an 
entrance  to  his  apartments.  He  sleeps  on  a  clean 
sack  of  straw,  over  which  is  spread  a  fine  linen  sheet 


*  Viz.,  to  see  his  aunts  and  cousins. 


90  Goethe  s  Mother. 

under  a  light  coverlet.  The  chimney-room  will  be 
prepared  for  his  servants,  a  mattress-bed  placed  in  it. 

For  Herr  v.  Wedel  the  back  gray  room  will  be 
made  ready,  also  a  mattress-bed,  etc. 

For  me,  above,  in  my  old  rooms,  also  a  sack  of 
straw,  etc.,  as  for  the  Duke. 

As  to  eating,  you  will  prepare  dinner  for  four,  no 
more  nor  less,  no  cookery  but  your  domestic  cJicfs- 
d'ceuvre,  in  the  best  manner  ;  whatever  fruit  you  can 
procure  mornings  will  be  well. 

It  reduces  itself,  therefore,  to  this,  that  the  first 
time  we  come,  we  surprise  every  one,  and  a  few  days 
will  pass  by  before  we  are  noticed  ;  in  fair-time  this 
is  easy.  Take  all  the  lustres  out  of  the  Duke's 
rooms.  They  would  look  ridiculous  to  him.  The 
wall-candlesticks  you  cap  leave.  In  other  respects, 
everything  neat,  as  usual,  and  the  less  ceremony  ap- 
parent the  better.  It  must  seem  to  you  as  if  we  had 
thus  lived  with  you  ten  years.  For  servants  pro- 
vide one  or  two  beds  up  under  the  roof,  where  our 
people  are.  Your  silver  place  out  for  the  Duke's  use, 
hand-basin,  candlesticks,  etc.  He  drinks  no  coffee 
or  anything  of  the  kind.  Wedel  will  please  you  very 
much  ;  he  is  better  than  any  you  have  yet  seen  of  us 
men. 

So,  then,  still  a  deep  silence,  for  as  yet  not  a  soul 
here  knows  a  word.  Write  me  whatever  occurs  to 
you.  I  will  reply  to  everything,  that  all  may  be 
thoroughly  prepared. 

Merck  is  not  yet  to  know  anything. 

(The  above  letter  is  without  date,  but  assigned  by  Dr.  Keil, 
from  its  contents,  to  August,  1779.) 


The  Dukes   Visit.  91 

This  visit  took  place  on  the  3Oth  September,  1779. 
Goethe  writes  from  Frankfort  to  Frau  von  Stein  : 

"  We  arrived  here  on  a  most  beautiful  evening,  and 
were  received  by  many  friendly  faces.  My  father  I 
find  changed  ;  he  is  quieter,  and  his  memory  fails  ; 
my  mother  has  all  her  former  energy  and  love." 

In  the  Merck  correspondence  there  are  also  sev- 
eral allusions  to  the  journey. 

Fraulein  von  Gochhausen  writes  : 

"  Long  letters  have  come  from  Frau  Aja  about  the 
visit  to  Frankfort,  and  all  of  them  show  her  to  be 
in  a  very  rose-colored  mood,  in  which  may  Heaven 
long  maintain  her.  The  old  gentleman's  appearance, 
which  you  set  forth  with  a  few  touches  in  so  master- 
ly a  manner,  highly  delighted  me.  It  must  have 
mightily  pleased  him  that  his  son,  the  Privy 
Councillor,  showed  the  Duke  in  Frankfort." 

Madame  La  Roche  writes  : 

"  May  their  journey  be  as  fortunate  as  the  plan 
of  it  is  sensible  and  natural.  The  amazement  *  of 
everybody — nobles,  merchants,  and  landlords — is 
certainly  very  great,  for  we  have  actually  reached  that 
point  where  the  simplest  thing  causes  more  aston- 
ishment than  the  most  inexplicable  caprice.  .  .  . 
I  grant  Frau  Aja  with  all  my  heart  the  inward  satis- 
faction which  this  visit  must  give  her.  Mothers' 
joys  are  among  the  sweetest  on  earth,  and  I  may 
well  say  that  there  is,  perhaps,  no  mother  living  who 
so  fully  deserves  these  joys  as  Frau  Gothe." 

*  Viz.,  at  seeing  a  Duke  staying  at  the  house  of  a  simple 
citizen. 


92  Goethes  Mother. 

32.  Carl  August,  Duke  of  Saxe- Weimar,  to  Frau  Rath. 

BASLE,  the  2d  Oct.,  1779. 

With  the  month  of  October  we  entered  Switzer- 
land. .  .  .  We  came  over  and  saw  the  beautiful 
plain  about  Basle,  the  Rhine,  and  the  lofty  moun- 
tains in  the  distance.  I  write  this  to  you,  dear  Frau 
Aja,  to  show  that  we  have  come  thus  far  from 
Frankfort  well,  and  looking  well.  The  strengthening 
effect  of  your  old  wine,  and  especially  the  very  ad- 
mirable influence  of  your  never-to-be-forgotten  roast 
venison,  have  rendered  us  excellent  aid  on  our 
knightly  expedition.  Your  good  and  friendly  recep- 
tion, and  your  care  for  us  in  Frankfort,  have  given  us 
fully  the  necessary  endurance,  and  restored  the  lost 
strength.  Believe,  indeed,  dear  Frau  R'athin,  that  I 
am  and  ever  shall  be  very  grateful  for  the  great  kind- 
ness which  you  and  the  Herr  Rath  have  had  for  us. 
Believe  also,  and  this  without  all  doubt,  that  I  value 
and  love  you  as  much  as  any  one.  Commend  me  to 
the  Herr  Rath,  and  keep  well,  that  on  our  return  we 
may  have  the  same  pleasure  in  you.  Adieu. 

CARL  AUGUST. 

33.    Wieland  to  Frau  RatJi. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  Two  words  only  with  the  Mercury 
which  comes  herewith — namely,  1000  thanks  for  the 
frequent  proofs  of  your  good  and  affectionate  remem- 
brance, and  aviso  that  all  you  have  given  me  up  to 
this  time,  for  my  lady  Duchess  Mother  has  been 
rightly  delivered.  To-morrow  the  wall-candlesticks 
also  will  probably  arrive. 

Our  dear  wanderers  are  probably  now  with  you 


Wieland  to  Frau  Rath.  93 

again,  and  are  resting  from  their  labors.  I  look  for 
its  doing  us  much  good  to  see  them  again.  They 
have  made  a  beautiful  excursion,  and  good  angels 
have  been  with  them,  and  have,  as  we  hear,  driven 
all  the  elements  before  them.  We  have  often  been 
uneasy  here  on  their  account,  while  they  on  their 
Alps  had  the  best  weather  one  could  desire.  Alto- 
gether, we  know  nothing  here  of  all  the  lauded 
splendors  of  the  present  autumn  in  your  neighbor- 
hood ;  since  the  middle  of  October,  or  rather  since 
the  beginning  of  it,  we  live  almost  continually  in  an 
atmosphere  of  clouds,  fogs,  rain,  and  wind. 

"  Oberon,"  meantime,  advances  on  his  way,  and  it 
must  fare  ill.  if,  on  next  Shrove  Tuesday  evening  at 
precisely  eight  o'clock,  I  should  not  have  done  with 
the  last  stanza  of  the  fourteenth  and  last  canto. 
Pray  diligently  for  me  in  the  mean  time,  dear 
mother,  that  the  end  may  succeed  with  me  as  well 
as  the  middle  and  beginning.  I  shudder  a  little 
when  I  think  that  it  needs  only  a  single  false  step  to 
break  my  neck  on  the  way  I  am  wandering.  Yet, 

"Was  Du  mit  Glauben  und  mil  Muth 
Begonnen  hast,  das  helf  ich  Dir  vollenden."* 

Adieu,  best  little  mother.  I  would  give  a  finger 
from  each  hand  if  I  could  fly  to  you  and  read  to 
you  my  X.  cantos,  which  lie  here  before  me. 

Farewell,  and  keep  in  good,  warm  remembrance, 
your 

Faithfully  attached  son, 

WIELAND. 

*  In  Sotheby's  translation  it  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Whatthou  hast  well  begun  thou  well  shall  end: 
Here  Oberon  presents  himself  thy  friend." 


94  Goethe  s  Mother. 

All  with  me-— wife,  children,  mother,  in  short, 
everything  which  has  breath — is  well,  and  praises  the 
Lord  and  greets  you. 

(The  above  letter  is  without  date.  Dr.  Keil  assigns  it  to  Decem- 
ber, 1779.) 

34.  Duke  Carl  August  to  Frau  Rath. 

WEIMAR,  the  iQth  M.  (arch),  1780. 
My  well-beloved  Commerzien  Rath  (Commercial 
Councillor)  Paulsen  wishes  to  let  you  see  his  face, 
and  for  this  a  letter  to  you  from  me  must  serve 
him  ;  thus  I  serve  him,  and  he  me.  I  cannot  write 
you  much,  dear  Frau  Aja  ;  fine  things  that  would 
sound  well  in  some  letters  sound  out  of  tune  in 
mine.  That  I  love  and  honor  you,  you  know  :  I 
have  therefore  no  need  to  say  it  ;  but  as  the  two 
words  now  stand  here,  let  them  so  remain  ;  they 
mean  all  that  could  not  be  said  in  3,000,000  words. 
Goethe,  too,  is  well  again,  and  better  now,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  than  I  have  seen  him  for  a  long  time. 
I  supped  with  him  last  night,  with  a  small  com- 
pany. Your  picture  and  the  father's,  by  Melchior, 
parade  in  my  mother's  cabinet  ;  if  yours  were  only 
better,  that  one  might  look  at  it  more  !  I  have,  up 
to  date,  been  roving  rapidly  about  in  the  neighbor- 
hood here  ;  it  is  nearly  a  week  since  I  first  began  to 
be  quiet.  Goethe  cultivates  so  much  the  more  quiet, 
industry  and  work.  If  all  were  so  easy  to  me  as  to 
him,  I  would  gladly  do  what  he  does.  His  Swiss 
drama  *  will,  I  think,  soon  be  brought  out  ;  to-day 

*  "  Jery  und  Bately." 


Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Fran  Rath.     95 

there  is  a  rehearsal  of  the  music  which  von  Secken- 
dorf  has  set  to  it.  The  new  theatre  will  now  soon  be 
ready.  Merck  has  written  :  it  is  spoken  of  as  of  some 
old  tale  which  we  are  still  glad  to  hear,  but  of  which 
we  see  nothing  but  the  records  ;  that  is,  he  does  not 
write  at  all  any  more.  I  know  not  why.  But 
greet  the  old  fellow,  dear  Frau  Aja,  and  challenge 
him  formally.  Give  him  a  couple  of  bottles  of  19* 
to  drink  at  your  house,  in  the  yellow  room,  to  the 
health  of  the  old  company  ;  he  has  it  indeed  for 
nothing,  as  his  old  maxim  runs,  and  perhaps  it  will 
arouse  his  spirit  and  make  him  fond  of  writing. 
Now  farewell,  best  mother  Aja,  and  greet  the  father. 
God  keep  you. 

CARL  AUGUST,  H.  z.  S. 

(Herzog  zu  Sachsen). 

35.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Fran  Rath, 

WEIMAR,  the  9th  June,  '81. 

It  is  long  since  I  have  written  you,  dear  mother,  and 
yet  it  is  not  forgetfulness  or  lack  of  that  love  which 
I  have  forever  pledged  to  you.  The  few  new  events 
which  have  occurred  here  were  not  worth  telling  you, 
and  in  order  not  to  be  monotonous  and  to  weary 
you,  dearest  woman,  I  the  rather  kept  silence. 
My  son  Constantin,  who  will  bring  you  this  letter, 
can  tell  you  by  word  of  mouth  all  about  how  it  is 
with  us  here.  You  will  find  in  him,  dear  mother,  a 
young  man  who  is  not  yet  quite  fledged, f  but  his 
heart  is  good,  and  I  hope  the  journey  he  is  now  set- 

*  The  year  19,  1719.  \  "  Der  noch  nicht  ganz  lliigge  ist." 


96  Goethe's  Mother. 

ting  out  on  will  make  of  him  a  good  and  useful  man. 
The  Legations-Rath  Albrecht,  who  travels  with  him, 
has  nothing  pleasing  in  his  exterior,  as  you  will  see 
yourself  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  an  upright 
and  very  intelligent  man,  who  has  already  travelled 
much  himself,  and  in  whom  my  son  has  great  confi- 
dence, as  well  as  he  again  is  much  attached  to  Con- 
stantin  ;  so  that  I  can  in  this  respect  be  quite  easy. 
Regard  Constantin,  dear  mother,  as  the  son  of  a 
mother  who  is,  with  her  whole  heart,  yours, 

AMELIE. 

36.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Fran  Rath. 

TlEFURTH,  the  I3th  July,  '81. 
What  shall  I  write  to  you,  dearest  Frau  Aja  ? 
After  you  have  been  going  about  with  Emperor,  Arch- 
dukes, Princes,  and  devils  of  all  sorts,*  what  can 
further  interest  you  ?  If  I  should  tell  you  that  I  am 
living  very  happily  here  in  the  groves  of  Tiefurth, 
it  would  sound  very  small  and  insignificant  in  Frau 
Aja's  ears  ;  I  could  also  relate  that  the  much-loved 
Herr  Sohn  Wolff  is  well  and  hearty,  that  he  has 
been  on  a  commission  at  Ilmenau,  and  has  made,  be- 
sides, all  sorts  of  little  excursions,  and  has  returned 
happy  and  well  ;  but  all  this  is  too  insignificant  for 
you  ;  one  must  talk  with  you  in  the  high  FF.f  But 
alas  !  nothing  happens  here  ;  not  a  single  outlandish 
animal  comes  through  Weimar,  let  alone  an  Em- 
peror. Yet  my  heart  tells  me  that  Frau  Aja,  in  the 

*  Nachdem  Sie  mit  Kaiser,  Erbherzdgen,  Fiirsten   und  alien 
Teufeln  sich  herum  getrieben  habcn." 
f  Fortissimo. 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  97 

midst  of  all  enjoyment,  has  remained  Frau  Aja  ;  that 
she,  after  all,  has  cast  side  glances  full  of  love  and 
friendship  toward  those  afar  off,  and  is,  and  forever 
will  be,  the  dear  good  mother.  Amen  ! 

Fraulein  Tusnelde  sends  you  herewith  a  portfolio 
which  she  has  made  with  her  own  noble  hand  ;  and 
that  I  may  not  come  quite  empty-handed  I  send 
you,  dear  mother,  a  pair  of  garters  which  I,  also, 
have  manufactured  myself.  I  hope,  dear  mother,  that 
you  will  see,  at  least,  from  this,  how  frequently  we 
think  of  you. 

Remain  ever  the  dear  mother,  as  I  shall  forever 

be 

Your  true  friend, 

AMELIE. 

The  Emperor  Joseph  II.  arrived  in  Frankfort  on 
the  2/th  of  May,  1781.  Although  he  was  travelling 
incognito,  under  the  name  of  Count  Falkenstein,  the 
street  before  his  hotel  was  constantly  thronged  with 
people  hoping  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  this  very  popu- 
lar prince,  and  the  excitement  was  general  through- 
out Frankfort.  The  Emperor  was  at  this  time  on  a 
tour  to  the  various  German  courts  to  select  a  wife 
for  the  heir  apparent,  the  Archduke  Franz.  His 
choice  fell  upon  Elisabeth,  daughter  of  Duke  Eugene, 
of  Wirtemberg. 


37.   Goethe  to  his  Mother. 

The  Devin  du  Village  with  Melchior's  book  came 
yesterday.  Time  and  quiet  has  failed  me  as  yet  to 
reply  to  your  previous  dear  letter.  It  gave  me  great 


98  Goethe's  Mother. 

pleasure  to  see  in  it  your  old  and  well-known  views 
again  expressed,  and  to  read  them  from  your  own 
hand.  I  beg  you  to  be  unconcerned  on  my  account, 
and  not  to  allow  yourself  to  be  perplexed  by  any- 
thing. My  health  is  far  better  than  I  could  pre- 
viously hope  and  expect ;  and  as  it-is  adequate  to 
enable  me  to  do,  for  the  most  part,  at  least,  what  is 
incumbent  on  me.  I  have  certainly  cause  to  be  con- 
tent with  it.  In  regard  to  my  position  itself,  it  has, 
notwithstanding  great  difficulties,  very  much,  also, 
that  is  desirable  for  me,  of  which  the  best  proof  is 
that  I  can  think  of  no  other  possible  one  for  which, 
at  the  present  moment,  I  would  change  it.  For,  with 
hypochondriacal  discontent,  to  wish  one's  self  out  of 
one's  skin  into  another,  is  not,  it  seems  to  me,  very 
befitting.  Merck  and  others  judge  very  falsely  of  my 
situation,  They  see  only  what  I  sacrifice,  and  not 
what  I  gain  ;  and  they  cannot  comprehend  that  I 
grow  daily  richer  while  I  daily  give  up  so  much. 
You  remember  the  last  period  I  passed  with  you  be- 
fore I  came  here  ;  in  such  a  continued  state  of 
things  I  should  have  gone  to  ruin.  The  dispropor- 
tion of  a  narrow  and  slowly  moving  burgher-circle 
to  the  breadth  and  great  mobility  of  my  nature 
would  have  driven  me  mad.  With  my  lively  imagi- 
nation and  previous  ideas  of  human  affairs,  I  should 
yet  have  always  remained  unacquainted  with  the 
world,  and  in  a  perpetual  childhood,  which,  mostly 
through  self-conceit  and  all  its  kindred  errors,  is  in- 
tolerable to  itself  and  to  others.  How  much  more 
fortunate  it  was  to  see  myself  placed  in  a  position 
to  which  I  was  in  no  direction  equal,  where  I  had 
ample  opportunity,  through  many  an  error  of  mis- 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  99 

conception  and  haste,  to  become  acquainted  with 
myself  and  others  ;  where,  left  to  myself  and  fate, 
I  passed  through  so  many  trials,  which  to  many  hun- 
dreds of  men  might  not  have  been  necessary,  but  of 
which  I  had,  for  my  development,  the  utmost  need. 
And  now  still,  how  could  I,  in  accordance  with  my 
nature,  wish  for  a  position  more  fortunate  than  one 
which  has  in  it  for  me  something  infinite.  For  were 
there  developed  daily  in  me  a  new  capacity,  were  my 
ideas  constantly  becoming  clearer,  my  active  powers 
augmenting,  my  knowledge  extending  itself,  my 
powers  of  discrimination  being  perfected,  and  my 
spirit  becoming  more  active,  I  should  yet  find  daily 
opportunity  to  use  all  these  qualities,  now  on  the 
large  scale,  now  on  the  small.  You  see  how  far  I 
am  from  the  hypochondriacal  restlessness  which  sets 
so  many  men  at  variance  with  their  circumstances, 
and  that  only  the  weightiest  considerations  or  very 
strange  and  unexpected  events  could  induce  me  to 
leave  my  post  ;  and  it  would  be  also  unjustifiable 
to  myself,  if  I — at  a  time  when  the  trees  which  have 
been  planted  begin  to  grow,  and  when  one  can  hope 
for  the  harvest  to  separate  the  tares  from  the  wheat — 
if  I,  on  account  of  some  discomfort  or  other,  should 
go  away,  and  deprive  myself  of  shade,  fruit,  and  har- 
vest. Meantime,  believe  me  that  a  great  portion  of 
the  good  cheer  with  which  I  endure  and  work 
springs  from  the  thought  that  all  these  sacrifices  are 
voluntary,  and  that  I  need  only  to  order  post-horses 
in  order  to  come  and  find  again  with  you  the  need- 
ful and  agreeable  of  life.  For  without  this  prospect, 
and  when,  in  hours  of  vexation,  I  am  driven  to  re- 
gard myself  as  a  bondman  and  day-laborer  for  the 


ioo  Goethes  Mother. 

mere  necessities  of  life,  many  things  would  be  much 
harder  to  me.  But  may  I  ever  hear  from  you  that 
your  cheerfulness  never  forsakes  you  in  my  father's 
present  condition.  Continue  to  procure  for  yourself 
as  much  variety  as  the  social  life  about  you  offers. 
It  is  not  probable  that  I  shall  be  able  to  leave  here 
this  autumn  ;  at  all  events,  not  before  the  end  of 
September  ;  yet  I  shall  try  to  be  with  you  at  vintage 
time.  Write  me,  therefore,  if  it  should,  by  chance, 
fall  earlier,  owing  to  the  favorable  summer. 

Farewell.     Greet  my  old,  dear  friends. 

WEIMAR,  the  nth  Aug.,  1781.  G. 


There  is  a  letter  from  Wieland  to  Merck,  written 
some  years  before  this,  in  which  he  expresses  in  his 
humorous  way  his  attachment  to  Weimar.  The 
passage  reads  as  follows  : 

WEIMAR,  the  i6th  April,  1777. 
DEAREST  FRIEND  :  I  cannot  yet  forgive  myself  or 
forget  that  I  have  neglected  you  the  whole  of  the 
last  month  in  so  unfriendly  a  manner.  Forgive  me 
for  it,  for  the  sake  of  sweet  Rosamond,  about  whom  I 
have  made,  si  diis placet,  a  very  edifying  vaudeville, 
alias  opera,  for  his  Electoral  Highness  of  Mannheim. 
I  had  the  thing  in  my  head  the  whole  of  March,  to 
such  a  degree  that  I  could  neither  think  of  nor  un- 
dertake anything  else.  You  admonish  me  to  profit 
by  the  favorable  breeze  which  seems  to  be  wafting 
me  toward  the  Neckar,  and  to  leave  this  rugged 
country  where  no  wine  grows,  where  the  water  is 
good  for  nothing,  and  Eurus  and  Boreas  render  eight 


Wicland  to  Merck.  101 

months  of  the  year  as  unprofitable  as  possible.  Yes, 
dear  sir,  if  that  were  only  as  easy  as  to  move  from 
one  street  to  another — pro  primo  ;  and  if  the  devil 
were  not  everywhere  at  home,  pro  secundo ;  and  if 
there  were  not  a  hundred  against  one  to  be  wagered 
that  I  should  jump  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the 
fire,  pro  tertio.  Besides,  I  do  not  yet  well  know  how 
far  good  will  toward  me  extends  in  M.,  although  I 
can  promise  myself  everything  that  is  possible  on  the 
part  of  Hompesch.*  But  granted  they  wished  to 
have  me,  under  what  specie  and  quo  titulo  should  I 
be  ?  And  what  temporal  advantages  would  out- 
weigh the  leisure,  quiet,  freedom,  independence, 
esteem,  affection,  etc.,  which  I  enjoy  here?  It  is 
true  I  count  for  but  little  here,  and  what  I  am  in 
sensu  politico  is  seven  times  less  than  what  I  count 
for.  But  I  do  not  wish  to  be  nor  to  count  for  anything, 
and  precisely  in  this  consists  at  least  one  third  of 
my  well-being.  The  princely  personages  here  are, 
perhaps,  the  best  in  the  whole  world.  They  are  all 
well  disposed  toward  me,  and  none  of  them  interfere 
with  me  ;  they  ask  so  little  from  me  that  I  am  well 
nigh  ashamed  to  eat  their  bread,  and  they  would  do 
everything  to  please  me.  Their  Serene  Highnesses  of 
Gotha  have  very  nearly  the  same  sentiments  toward 
me  ;  and,  besides,  in  the  most  disastrous  event  which 
might  befall  Weimar  in  the  future,  I  can  anticipate 
no  cause  of  anxiety  for  myself.  I  sit  tranquilly,  there- 
fore, under  the  trees  of  my  garden  ;  and  would  it 
not  be  hard  that  I  should  not  eat  the  fruit  of  the  HO 
beautiful  apple,  pear,  and  cherry  trees  which  I 

*  Count  Hompesch,  Minister  of  State  at  Mannheim. 


IO2  .  Goethes  Mother. 

planted  last  autumn  ?  And  now,   hisce 

omnibus  probe  pcnsitatis,  tell  me  frankly,  should  I  not 
be  greatly  in  the  wrong  to  allow  myself  to  be 
tempted  by  the  garlic  and  onions  of  Egypt,  or  by 
singers  and  harp-players,  or  by  fatter  court-soups,  or 
by  the  slight  advantage  of  getting  my  wine  two 
groschen  cheaper,  or  by  any  other  illusion  of  the  flesh 
to  leave  my  one-hundred-paces-long-and-fifty-paces- 
wide  kingdom,  paradise,  elysium,  or  whatever  T  may 
please  to  call  it — and  solely  because  it  lies  in  stupid 
Thuringia,  and  my  cherries  ripen  only  once  in  ten 
years. 

But,  as  I  said,  it  has  not  yet  got  so  far  that  it  is 
necessary  for  me  to  transplant  myself.  Au  con- 
traire,  I  am  already,  at  the  present  date,  on  the 
way  to  quarrel  pour  toujours  with  the  Palatinate. 
And  can  you  guess  why  ?  Are  there  not  sins  which 
a  poet  cannot  forgive,  either  in  this  world  or  the 
next  ?  Now,  only  think  ;  those  people  plague  and 
badger  me  to  write  them  an  opera,  and  just  as  I  get 
it  done,  it  comes  out  that  to  their  best  actress,  an 
angel  in  youthful  charms  and  voice,  they  have  given 
leave  of  absence  for  a  year,  to  go  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
Paris  and  London,  to  dance  in  the  planets,  and  to 
do  Heaven  knows  what,  and  that  they  have  now  no 
Rosamond,  and  my  little  piece  which,  by  the  aid  of 
the  fair  nymph  Danzy  would,  could,  and  should 
have  produced  the  greatest  effect,  will  now  go  to  the 
dogs  for  want  of  an  actress  who  looks  like  a  Rosa- 
mond, and  sings  like  one.  And  I  shall  not  go  mad 
over  it,  and  shall  be  willing  to  have  anything  more 
to  do  with  such  people  ?  Farewell,  then,  forever,  ye 
banks  of  my  native  Neckar  !  I  seat  myself  here  on 


Frau  Ratk  to  Lavater.  103 

the  banks  of  the  little  rippling  Lotte,  which  flows 
not  far  from  my  garden,  and  make  vain  projects  how 
I  might  make  it  flow  through  my  garden  ;  and,  if 
nothing  comes  of  that,  I  will  drink  out  of  this  self- 
same Lotte,  forgetfulness  of  all  operas  and  opera- 
nymphs,  orchestras,  courts,  and  Abderites  *  in  the 
world — that  will  be  more  sensible  !  E  tanto  basta. 


38.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

The  2oth  August,  1781. 

DEAR  SON  :  A  few  missing  copperplates  to  the 
fourth  part  of  your  "  Fragments  of  Physiognomy" 
oblige  me,  my  dear  friend,  to  trouble  you.  Perhaps 
you  can  help  me  out  with  them,  and  then  receive 
my  best  thanks.  That  all  with  you  are  well  I  have 
learned,  to  my  heartfelt  joy,  from  young  Kayser. 
With  us  it  is  so-so.  I,  for  my  part,  am,  thank 
God,  ever  as  I  was,  well,  active,  and  in  good  humor  ; 
but  the  poor  Herr  Rath  has  for  a  long  time  been 
very  much  on  the  decline.  His  mental  powers,  es- 
pecially, are  entirely  gone — memory,  recollection, 
everything  lost.  The  life  he  now  leads  is  a  true 
plant-life.  Providence  finds  it  even  good  to  lead  me 
through  divers  ways  to  the  goal.  That  I  suffer 
much  therefrom  I  do  not  need  to  relate  at  length  to 
a  heart  so  full  of  feeling  as  yours,  especially  as  I 
have  no  compensation  in  my  children.  All  are  in- 
deed far,  far  away  from  Frau  Aja.  I  had  flattered 
myself  with  the  hope  that  my  son  would  come  to 

*  Allusion  to  his  novel  "  Die  Abderiten"  (the  inhabitants  of 
Abdera),  a  satire  upon  provincial  manners. 


IO4  Goethds  Mother. 

the  autumn-fair,  but  nothing  will  come  of  it,  he  has 
so  many  occupations,  so  much  to  do  all  at  the  same 
time  ;  but  as  a  slight  amends  he  has  written  me  a 
truly  excellent  letter.*  I  must  now  possess  my  soul 
about  it  in  patience.  For  the  present  here  are  lam- 
entations enough.  Keep  me  in  good,  loving  remem- 
brance, as  I  shall  not  forget  you  my  life  long  (al- 
though you  have  not  deigned  to  honor  my  face  by 
saying  anything  about  it  in  your  four  great  books). 
Greet  all  !  I  am  forever, 

Your  faithful  mother, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 

39.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath. 

WEIMAR,  the  23d  Qbre,  '81. 

DEAREST  FRAU  AJA  :  I  am  able,  with  much  pleas- 
ure, to  announce  to  you  that  your  beloved  Hatchel- 
hanz  has,  in  graciousness,  resolved  to  hire  a  house  in 
the  town.f  True,  he  will  not  move  into  it  before 
Easter,  because  the  lease  of  the  present  tenant  runs 
until  then  ;  meanwhile,  dear  mother,  we  have  won 
half  the  battle,  and  it  is  good  that  it  has  got  so  far. 
I  have  also  promised  to  procure  him  some  furni- 
ture, because  he  is  so  very  nice  and  good.  You  will 
accordingly  have  the  kindness,  dear  mother,  to  send 
me  some  patterns  of  chintz  for  chairs  and  sofas,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  the  prices. 

Herr  Gevatter  \  Wieland  is  very  proud   of  your 

*  The  preceding  letter,  No.  37. 

f  Goethe  had  up  to  this  time  lived  in  his  Gartenhaus.  See 
Letter  3. 

\  The  titles  Gevatter  and  Gevatterinn  mean  literally  godfather 


CATHARINE  ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 


Fraulcin  von  G'ochhausen  to  Frau  Rath.    105 

loving  remembrance  :  with  great  enthusiasm  he  cried 
out,  That  is  a  woman  for  me  !  She  is  the  ornament 
of  her  sex  !  And  I  said  Amen.  He  will  send  you  a 
whole  packet  of  Tiefurth  journals.  They  are  a  little 
sport  I  made  for  myself  this  summer,  and  which  has 
succeeded  so  well  that  it  has  been  continued  up  to 
the  present  ;  perhaps  it  will  give  you,  too,  a  few 
pleasant  hours.  The  authors  are  Hatchelhanz,  Wie- 
land,  Herder,  Knebel,  Kammerherr  Seckendorff, 
and  Einsiedel.  The  Frau  Rathin's  world-renowned 
connoisseurship  will  enable  her  easily  to  guess  the 
pieces  by  each  author.  Farewell,  and  be  happy, 
dear  woman. 

AMELIE. 

Our  Wolff   greets  you  a  thousand  times.     He  is 
very  well,  and  good. 

40.  Frdulein  von  Gochhausen  to  Frau  Rath. 

WEIMAR,  the  2/th  December,  1781. 
I  am  sure,  dearest  mother  that  you  in  your  life  have 
had  many  and  varied  joys  ;  but  whether  you  know 
any  such  joy  as  you  have  given  me  on  Christmas 
Day,  at  least  I  wish  it  you  !  Your  silhouette,  so 
like  !  of  such  an  excellent,  dear,  beloved  woman  !  in 
such  a  costly,  pretty  and  stylish  setting  ;  and  your 
letter — O  your  dear  letter  ! — could  I  only  say  how  in- 

and  godmother.  We  have  not,  however,  substituted  those  terms 
for  them,  as  godfather  and  godmother,  in  English,  imply  a  fixed 
relation,  and  are  not  used  as  mere  titles  of  affection  and  courtesy, 
as  they  seem  to  have  been  in  Germany  at  the  time  of  this  corre- 
spondence. 


io6  Goethe  s  Mother. 

describably  admirable  the  letter  is  !  Enough,  dear- 
est mother  :  from  all  my  exclamations  there  is,  alas, 
nothing  further  to  be  learned  than  that  I  am  half 
out  of  my  wits  with  excessive  joy.  The  first  day 
Goethe  had  much  to  bear  from  me,  for  I  almost  ate 
him  up.  By  monstrous  good  lack  there  was  on  that 
joyous  day  a  grand  dinner  at  the  Duchess's,  and 
nearly  half  the  town  was  assembled.  I  could,  there- 
fore, produce  at  once  my  splendid  present  (which 
will  not  so  soon  come  off  my  so-called  swan-like 
neck)  ;  and  there  was  a  questioning  and  a  glancing 
at  the  beautiful  novelty,  and  I  was  thoroughly  wild, 
and  people  thought  I  must  have  had  a  gift  of  clear 
quicksilver.* 

Dearest  woman,  how  shall  I  thank  you  !  how  ever 
deserve  so  much  goodness — so  without  all  desert 
and  worthiness  on  my  part  !  In  return,  I  can,  alas, 
do  nothing,  except  to  go  on  in  my  old  jog-trot — 
love,  honor,  and  obey  you  my  life  long.  Amen  ! 

L.  GOCHHAUSEN. 

The  Duchess  greets  you  1000  times,  but  will  give 
me  no  further  commission — for  example,  in  regard 
to  the  chintz — until  I  have  come  again  entirely  to  my 
senses  ;  for  which,  if  there  is  not  soon  some  change, 
she  will  shortly  have  prayers  said  in  the  church. 


*  This  seems  a  strange  expression  ;  but,  at  that  time,  when  any 
one  showed  a  restless  activity,  they  would  say  some  one  has  given 
you  quicksilver. 


Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath.     107 


41.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath. 

TIEFURT,  the  1 7th  8bre,  '82. 

Since  great  minds — prophets,*  geniuses,  and  the 
like — have  been  entertained  by  you,  one  gets  to 
hear  nothing  more,  good  or  bad,  from  Frau  Aja  : 
everything  is  dead  from  there  hitherward  !  Accord- 
ingly, I  venture  only  from  afar  off  to  tap  on  the  door 
of  the  blue-room,  and  ask  how  the  Frau  Rathin  may 
be  :  whether,  now  and  then,  a  side  glance  is  still 
given  toward  distant  friends. 

Should  I  come  at  an  inopportune  moment  with 
my  inquiries,  and  disturb  you  therewith  in  your 
meditations,  pardon  it  on  account  of  my  longing  to 
learn  something  of  Frau  Aja  after  so  long  a 
silence. 

I  might  write  many  fine  things  from  here  :  among 
others,  that  the  palace  of  Herr  Geheim  Rath  von 
Goethe  is  being  splendidly  adorned  without  and 
within,  and  that  it  will  be  one  of  the  handsomest  in 
the  town  of  Weimar  ;  but  what  does  this  concern  you 
— you  who,  probably,  are  busied  with  many  sublime 
thoughts,  in  comparison  with  which  such  worldly  stuff 
is  utter  folly  ?  I  therefore  content  myself  with  add- 
ing nothing  further,  except  that  I  commend  myself 
to  your  spiritual  remembrance,  and  hope  soon  for  a 
sign  of  it. 

AMELIE. 


*  The  prophet  was  Lavater,  who  had  visited  Frankfort  during 
the  summer. 


io8  Goethes  Mother. 

42.  Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia. 

FRANKFORT  ON  THE  MAYN,  22d  Oct.,  1782. 
MOST  SERENE  PRINCESS  :  What  to  the  weary 
wanderer  a  resting-place,  to  the  thirsty  a  clear 
spring,  and  all  that  one  might  now  go  on  to  add 
thereto  ;  what  poor  mortals  strengthens  and  re- 
freshes— such  was  the  gracious  remembrance  of  our 
dearest  Princess  !  Thou  art  not,  consequently,  yet 
fallen  into  oblivion  :  the  dearest  Princess  thinks  of 
thee  still,  asks  after  thy  health.  Thanks  a  thousand- 
fold for  this  be  offered  to  your  Serene  Highness  ! 
Your  Serene  Highness  is  so  gracious  as  to  ask  what 
I  am  doing.  Oh,  by  Jupiter,  as  little  as  possible, 
and  that  little  heartily  ill,  besides.  But  how  is  it 
possible  otherwise  ?  Solitary,*  left  entirely  alone  to 
myself :  when  the  springs  are  turned  aside  or  stopped 
up,  the  deepest  well  will  become  empty.  I  dig,  it 
is  true,  after  fresh  ones  ;  but  either  they  give  no 
water  or  are  turbid,  which  is,  in  either  case,  unpleas- 
ant. This  noble  allegory  I  might  now  continue  on 
without  end.  I  might  say  that  in  order  not  to  die 
of  thirst  I  am  now  drinking  mineral  water,  which 
moreover  belongs  properly  only  to  the  sick,  etc. 
Certainly,  many  fine  things  might  be  brought  in 
here  ;  but  wit,  wit  ! — I  look  upon  it  always  as  a 
draught  of  air ;  it  cools  indeed,  but  one  gets  a  stiff 
neck  from  it.  So,  then,  without  all  this  idle  talk, 
every  pleasure  that  Inow  wish  to  enjoy  I  must  seek 
for  among  strangers,  out  of  my  own  house,  for  here 
it  is  as  quiet  and  deserted  as  in  a  graveyard.  For- 

*  The  Herr  Rath  died  in  May,  1782. 


Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia.    109 

merly  it  was,  indeed,  wholly  the  contrary  ;  yet 
since  throughout  all  nature  nothing  remains  in  its 
place,  but  goes  around  in  ceaseless  revolution,  how 
could  I  make  myself  an  exception  to  this  ?  No,  Frau 
Aja  has  not  such  absurd  ideas.  Who  will  fret  him- 
self because  it  is  not  always  full  moon,  and  because 
the  sun  does  not  warm  us  so  much  now  as  in  July  ? 
By  only  using  well  the  present,  and  never  thinking 
that  it  might  be  othenvise,  thus  one  gets  best 
through  the  world  ;  and  the  getting  through  is,  after 
all  (everything  well  considered),  the  chief  thing.  Your 
Serene  Highness  will  be  able  to  make  out  tolerably 
well  from  the  above  that  Frau  Aja  is  always  still 
about  the  same  Frau  Aja  ;  retains  her  good  hu- 
mor, and  does  everything  to  keep  in  good  spirits  ; 
also  uses  diligently  the  means  which  King  Saul 
formerly  found  so  approved  against  the  evil  enemy  ; 
and  thus,  according  to  human  appearances,  there  is, 
for  a  long  while  yet,  no  fear  for  the  good  woman. 
Especially  as  Herr  Tabor  (whom  your  Serene  High- 
ness knows  at  least  by  name)  has  so  magnificently 
provided  for  our  amusement.  The  play  for  the 
whole  winter  !  there  will  be  fiddling,  there  will  be 
trumpeting.  Ha  !  I  would  like  to  see  the  devil  who 
would  have  the  courage  to  plague  one  with  the 
blues  :  a  single  Sir  John  Falstaff  puts  him  to  rout  : 
that  was  fun  with  the  fat  fellow.  Christians  and 
Jews  all  laughed  away  the  gall  from  their  hearts. 
This  week  we  are  to  have  Clavigo  :  all  Frankfort  is 
going — all  the  boxes  are  bespoken  already — for  an 
imperial  city  like  this  it  is  a  great  enjoyment.  I 
have  now  humbly  followed  your  Serene  Highness's 
command — made  a  true  and  sincere  report  of  my 


no  Goethe s  Mother. 

being  and  not   being.     I   commend  myself  now  to 
further  grace  and  favor,  and  am  forever, 
Most  Serene  Princess, 

Your  most  humbly  and  truly  obedient 
Dienerin  *  (servant), 

GOETHE. 


We  cannot  forbear  adding  a  few  lines  from  a  letter 
of  Goethe's,  which  seems  conceived  so  thoroughly  in 
his  mother's  spirit.  It  was  written  during  illness  : 

'  To-day  we  have  the  most  beautiful  weather  in 
the  world.  I  allow  myself  no  murmuring.  The  sun 
will  still  shine  brightly  when  we  lie  in  the  grave  : 
why  should  it  fret  us  that  he  performs  his  duty  when 
we  must  keep  room  and  bed?"  (Goethe  to  Frau 
von  Stein,  2/th  June,  1785.) 

43.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

FRANKFORT,  the  5th  January,  1783. 
DEAR  SON  :  The  inclosure  do  not  open  until  you 
have  read  this  epistle.  There  are  silhouettes  in  it, 
in  regard  to  which  some  persons  would  be  glad  to 
know  your  thoughts.  If  you  do  not  find  this  advis- 
able, send  it  back  unopened.  I  do  not  know  where 
they  come  from,  still  less  whom  they  represent ; 
yet  they  have"  been  sent  me  by  persons  whom  I 
could  not  refuse.  Thus  it  happens  to  us  when 
people  know  that  such  lights  of  the  world  are  our 
friends.  I  stand  in  great  consideration  also 

*  See  note  i,  Letter  21. 


Frau  Rath  to  Johann  Heinrich  Merck.   1 1 1 

among  your  fellow-believers,  truly  without  any  merit 
or  worthiness  of  mine ;  yet  what  matters  that  ?  the 
moon,  too,  shines  with  borrowed  light,  and  for  all 
that  I  know  of,  no  poet,  from  Klopstock  to  Neukirch, 
who  has  not  be-sung  and  be-rhymed  her.  I  thank 
you  heartily  for  the  book  you  have  sent ;  it  gives  me 
many  a  refreshing  and  pleasant  hour,  as  indeed 
everything  that  comes  from  you.  For  this  I  assert, 
that  of  all  whom  I  know  (although  there  are  many 
good  men  among  them),  no  one  stands  so  in  favor 
in  my  heart  as  you.  God's  richest  blessing  for  the 
New  Year  upon  you  and  all  belonging  to  you.  Hold 
me  dear,  and  believe  that  I  am  forever, 

Your  true  friend  and  faithful  mother, 

GOETHE. 


44.  Frau  Rath  to  Johann  Heinrich  Merck. 

The  2ist  Febr.,  1783. 

WELL,  DEAR  SON  :  You  also  will  have  shared  in 
the  great  joy  which  now  animates  all  Weimar.*  I, 
for  my  part,  was  as  if  out  of  my  wits.  For,  just 
think  :  not  to  know  a  word  of  the  interesting  situa- 
ton  and  all  at  once  such  joyful  intelligence !  I 
can  swear  that  for  a  long,  long  time  I  have  not  been 
so  blissfully  happy.  But,  L.  Fr.,f  why  do  you  not 
send  me  the  "  Iphigenia?"  Longer  than  four  weeks 
ago  I  begged  you  for  it.  And  also  not  a  single 
word  of  reply  !  I  hope  that  you  are  not  ill,  as  little 
that  you  have  forgotten  me.  Let  something  be 

/ 

*  The  birth  of  a  son  to  the  Duke,  February  2d,  1783. 
f  Lieber  Freund  (dear  friend). 


H2  Goethe s  Mother. 

heard  from  you  soon,  and  it  will  heartily  rejoice  her 
who  is  and  remains  your  true  friend, 

C.  E.  GOETHE. 


45.    Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia. 

The  1st  March,  1783. 

MOST  SERENE  PRINCESS  :  I  am  indeed  a  very 
happy  and  enviable  woman,  to  stand  in  the  recollec- 
tion and  favor  of  an  Amalia  /  of  a  Princess  who,  in 
every  respect,  is  truly  a  Princess  ;  who  has  shown  to 
the  world  that  she  can  govern  ;  who  understands  the 
great  art  of  attracting  all  hearts  ;  who  diffuses  love 
and  joy  around  her  ;  who,  in  one  word,  was  born 
as  a  blessing  to  mankind.  So,  then,  our  dear  Hered- 
itary Prince  is  well — a  thousand  thanks  to  God  for  it  ! 
I  should  never  forgive  Wieland  and  my  son  if  they 
did  not,  at  this  joyous  event,  ride  lustily  their  Peg- 
asuses  ;  and  I  heartily  long  to  see  their  productions. 
To  be  sure,  it  seems  to  me  as  if  my  son  had  quar- 
relled with  the  Muses  about  something  ;  yet  old  love 
never  rusts  :  they  will,  at  his  call,  be  soon  again  at 
hand.  With  Wieland  it  is  indeed  far  otherwise  :  he 
is  an  ever-constant  lover.  The  nine  maidens  may 
laugh  or  look  sour  ;  he  accommodates  himself  to  all 
their  caprices  ;  and  I  know,  from  a  trusty  source, 
that  anything  of  thiskind'these  ladies  take  extremely 
well.  Your  Serene  Highness  is  so  gracious  as  to 
inquire  how  I  am.  I  am  very  well,  thank  God  ;  hap- 
py and  light  of  heart,  and  seek  to  make  my  little  bit 
of  life  as  agreeable  as  possible.  Yet  I  do  not  like 
any  pleasure  that  is  attended  with  disquietude,  con- 
fusion, and  fatigue  ;  for  quiet  I  loved  at  all  times,  and 


Frau  Rath  to  Diichess  Anna  A  malm.     113 

to  my  body  I  pay  very  willingly  the  honor  due.  In 
the  morning  I  attend  to  my  small  housekeeping 
and  other  matters  ;  letters  also  are  then  written — 
such  a  ridiculous  correspondence  no  one  could  easily 
have,  except  me.  Every  month  I  put  my  writing- 
desk  in  order,  but  I  can  never  do  it  without  laughing. 
It  resembles  heaven  inside  of  it.  All  distinctions 
of  rank  abolished — high  and  low,  righteous  and 
publicans  and  sinners  all  in  a  heap.  A  letter  from 
the  pious  Lavater  lies  quite  without  ill-will  beside 
one  from  the  player  Grossmann,  etc. 

In  the  afternoon  my  friends  have  permission  to 
come  and  see  me  ;  but  by  four  o'clock  they  must  all 
be  gone,  for  then  I  dress  myself,  go  either  to  the  play 
or  make  visits,  and  come  home  about  nine  o'clock. 
This  is  now  about  what  I  do.  Yet  the  best  I  had 
nearly  forgotten  !  I  live  in  the  long  streets  which 
have  been  built  for  readers,*  etc. 

May  your  Serene  Highness  be  content  with  the 
description  of  my  insignificant  way  of  life,  and  keep 
for  me  your  inestimable  favor.  This  is  the  single 
request  of 

Your  Serene  Highness's 

Most  obedient  and  faithful  servant  (Dienerin), 

GOETHE. 

*  Allusion  to  Goethe's  "  Das  Neueste  von  Plundersweilern"  : 

"  Besonders  eine  der  langsten  Gassen 

Hat  man  fur  Leser  erbauen  lassen, 

Wo  in  den  Hausern,  eng  und  weit, 

Gelesen  wird  zu  jeder  Zeit." 

"And  especially  one  of  the  longest  streets  has  been  built  for 
readers,  where  reading  goes  on  at  all  hours,  in  houses  large  and 
small." 


114  Goethes  Mother. 

46.  Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia. 

MOST  SERENE  PRINCESS  :  The  evidence,  by  let- 
ter, that  your  Serene  Highness  still  continually  fa- 
vors me  with  your  gracious  remembrance  delighted 
me  above  all  expression.  In  the  midst  of  the  great 
world,  in  the  circle  of  her  lofty  and  noble  kindred, 
amid  the  enjoyment  of  the  most  exquisite  pleasures, 
our  dearest  Princess  thinks  of  Frau  Aja,  who  is  living 
along  so  entirely  by  herself.  Most  gracious  Prin- 
cess, my  whole  desire,  demand,  and  wish  tend 
solely  to  this  :  to  make  myself  in  something  only 
worthy  of  this  great  favor.  But  what  else  can  such  a 
woman  as  I  do,  except  to  return  thanks  out  of  the 
fulness  of  her  heart,  and  most  humbly  to  solicit  the 
continuance  of  such  gracious  favor.  In  the  full  be- 
lief that  this  request  will  find  a  favorable  hearing,  I 
will,  in  joyous  mood,  and  with  a  happy  heart,  re- 
late and  report,  in  the  most  faithful  and  best  manner 
possible  to  me,  what  your  Serene  Highness  desires 
to  know.  Surely  the  good  God  will  not  let  me  sink 
so  low  as  to  write  for  a  journal.  No,  no  !  God 
forbid  !  Thank  Heaven,  I  know  better  how  to 
drive  away  ennui,  and  to  live  happily  through  my 
days  without  lowering  myself.  I  should  have  known 
nothing  at  all  of  the  whole  silly  trash  had  not  Frau 
Max  Brentano  sent  me  the  prospectus.  I  should 
take  the  whole  thing  for  a  satire  were  it  not  dedi- 
cated to  the  Princess  Elisabeth,  and  had  not  all  the 
post-offices  been  plagued  with  it.  We  have  here  a  few 
such  poor  wretches  whom  the  Evil  One  and  their 
stomachs  have  probably  led  astray  into  such  scrib- 
bling. This  is  all  I  know  of  this  charming  rarity. 


Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia.     115 

That  my  son  pleased  the  most  Serene  Duke  of  Bruns- 
wick touched  very  softly  my  motherly  heart.  It 
fares  with  me  well  nigh  as  with  the  old  knight  whom 
Geron  der  Adeliche  came  upon  in  a  cavern,  who  lived 
solely  by  this,  that  the  spirits  brought  him  so  much 
good  news  of  his  grandson  Hector.*  What  life- 
balsam  I  have  again  received  just  during  the  pres- 
ent fair  !  Now  God  be  forever  glorified  therefor  ! 
Your  Serene  Highness  has  the  kindness  to  ask  me 
what  I  am  doing,  how  I  am.  I  am  going  on,  ever 
in  the  old  way — well,  happy,  cheerful,  and  joyous, 
especially  in  this  splendid  autumn  and  glorious 
weather.  On  the  3d  was  the  great  Bacchus  festival. 
That  was  a  jubilation  and  merriment,  and  shouting  ! 
Grapes  !  Such  as  in  Canaan,  and  in  overflow  and 
abundance  besides  ;  in  my  little  vineyard  far  more 
than  a  butt.  But  there  was  also  endless  roast 
pork  !  !  !  Philip  f  was  so  fortunate  as  to  share  in 
the  whole  pleasure,  etc. 

From  this  account  your  Serene  Highness  can  see 
that  I  am  in  excellent  spirits.  For  the  full  measure 
of  my  happiness  I  beg  from  your  Serene  Highness, 
our  dearest  Princess,  the  continuance  of  your  grace 
and  favor  toward  one  who  is  her  life  long, 
Most  Serene  Princess, 

Your  most  humble  and  most  faithfully 
obedient  Dienerin  (servant), 

GOETHE. 

FRANKFORT,  the  5th  October,  1783. 


*  Allusion  to  Wieland's  poem,  Geron  der  Adelige: 
"  What  from  time  to  time 

The  spirits  tell  me  of  him  is  the  food 

That  will  not  let  me  die." 
f  Goethe's  servant,  apparently  on  a  visit  at  Frankfort. 


1 1 6  Goethe  s  Mother. 

47.   Frau  Rath  to  FricdricJi  von  Stein. 

FRANKFORT,  the  Qth  January,  1784. 

DEAR  SON  :  Many  thanks  for  your  dear  letter  ;  it 
gave  me  great  pleasure.  You  are  faring  right  well, 
then,  with  my  son.  Oh,  that  I  can  very  well 
imagine.  Goethe  was  ever  a  friend  of  good  young 
people,  and  it  gives  me  uncommon  pleasure  that  as- 
sociating with  him  makes  you  happy.  But  the  more 
you  love  him — and  therefore,  I  am  sure,  would  be 
unwilling  to  part  from  him — the  more  surely  will  you 
believe  me  when  I  tell  you  that  my  absence  from 
him  often  causes  me  sad  hours.  You,  my  little 
friend,  might  now  do  a  great  and  good  work  ;  espe- 
cially as  you  love  me  it  will  certainly  not  be  disagree- 
able to  you.  Listen,  dear  friend,  to  my  proposition. 

Since  you  are  constantly  with  my  son,  and  conse- 
quently know  more  about  him  than  any  one  else, 
how  would  it  be  if  you  were  to  keep  a  little  diary, 
and  send  it  to  me  every  month.  It  need  not,  indeed, 
give  you  much  trouble — only  something  in  this  way  : 
"  Yesterday  Goethe  was  at  the  play  ;  in  the  evening 
invited  out.  To-day  we  had  company,"  and  so  on. 
In  this  way  I  should  live,  as  it  were,  among  you, 
should  rejoice  in  your  joys,  and  absence  would  lose 
much  of  its  unpleasantness.  A  little  line  written 
morning  or  evening  would  not  give  you  much 
trouble,  but  would  be  indescribably  grateful  to  me. 
Just  reflect  upon  the  matter  ;  I  believe  it  may  be 
done. 

When  my  son  comes  some  time  to  Frankfort,  you 
must  come  with  him.  There  shall  then  be  no  lack  of 
amusement  ;  at  least,  I  would  dispose  everything 


Friedrich  von  Stein.  117 

for  enjoyment.  Now,  some  time  or  other  this  may 
take  place.  In  the  mean  time  hold  me  dear ;  I 
promise  you  the  same.  Greet  my  son,  and  be  as- 
sured that  I  am  ever 

Your  true  friend  and  faithful  mother, 

ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 


There  is  a  fragment  of  an  autobiography  by  Von 
Stein,  from  which  we  gather  some  account  of  his 
relations  with  Goethe  : 

"  My  father,"  he  says,  "  was  Master  of  the  Horse 
at  the  court  of  the  Duke  Carl  August  of  Saxe-Wei- 
mar.  Partly  through  the  detentions  and  journeys 
connected  with  his  service,  and  partly  through  his 
fondness  for  society,  he  was  not  much  at  home,  and 
had  no  great  influence  over  his  children.  He  was  in 
the  habit  of  dining  at  the  Duke's  court,  and  he 
never  supped,  so  that  he  was  seldom  to  be  seen. 
My  mother  was  by  birth  a  von  Schardt,  and  sprang 
from  the  Scotch  family  Irving.  She  was  almost  al- 
ways at  home,  and  gathered  about  her  cheerful 
society,  through  which  also  entertainment  was  not 
lacking  for  us  three  children.  My  second  brother, 
Ernst,  became  page  to  the  Duke,  and  our  mutual 
tutor,  Kiistner,  governor  of  the  pages.  I  was  sent 
with  my  brother,  and  there  arose  from  this  a  some- 
what straggling  mode  of  life,  since  I  was  so  much 
left  to  myself  ;  and  although  I,  on  the  one  hand, 
learned  in  this  way  early  to  take  care  of  myself,  yet 
precision  in  my  studies  suffered  very  much.  From 
the  Duke's  pages,  whose  society  much  delighted  me, 
I  learned  many  ill-habits.  With  all  my  heart,  on  the 


1 1 8  Goethes  Mother. 

contrary,  I  clung  to  my  mother,  and  almost  more 
still  to  Goethe,  who  at  that  time  visited  my  parents' 
house  almost  daily,  and  met  me  with  love,  earnest- 
ness, and  jest,  as  the  occasion  might  demand  ;  so  that 
I  consider  his  behavior  toward  children  as  a  model 
of  its  kind.  At  that  time  he  took  me  with  him  on 
a  journey  to  Dessau  and  Leipsic,  by  means  of  which 
I  much  enlarged  my  ideas.  I  was  about  nine  years 
old  when  Goethe  took  me  to  himself  into  his  house, 
which  I  may  call  the  happiest  period  of  my  youth.  I 
endeavored  by  my  exertions  to  deserve  the  love  with 
which  he  fulfilled  my  various  little  wishes.  By  dicta- 
tion he  endeavored  to  improve  my  imperfect  hand- 
writing, and,  to  give  practice  to  my  readiness  in  reck- 
oning, gave  over  to  me  his  housekeeping  books  and 
accounts  to  keep.  I  made  several  little  journeys 
with  him,  especially  to  Ilmenau  and  the  county  of 
Henneberg,  where  he  had  the  direction  of  a  mine, 
which  in  the  sequel  failed,  and  about  which  he 
gladly  and  fully  instructed  me.  This  good  fortune 
had  only  lasted  two  years  when  Goethe  went  on  a 
journey  to  Carlsbad,  and  thence  to  Italy,  without 
having  confided  it  to  any  one  except  the  Duke.  I 
still  remained  almost  a  half  year  in  his  house,  be- 
cause his  return  was  continually  expected,  but  at 
length  returned  to  my  parents,  as  it  was  too  lonely 
for  me  in  his  house." 


48.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  1 2th  Februar.,  1784. 

DEAR  SON  :  That  is  very  good  indeed  that  you 
have  so  kept  your  word.    The  diary  is  just  right,  and 


Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath.     \  19 

has  exceedingly  rejoiced  me.  Do  me  the  favor  to 
send  every  month  such  a  description  of  your  life  and 
occupations  :  the  separation  from  my  son  will  be, 
by  this  means,  infinitely  easier  to  me,  because  I  shall 
in  spirit  enjoy  with  you  all  that  is  done  in  Weimar. 
I  beg  you  continue  on  in  the  same  way,  and  you 
shall  be  my  dear,  dear  son.  The  drawing  of  your 
room  came  in  good  order  ;  it  lies  on  my  work-table, 
and,  in  thought,  I  am  very  often  with  you.  There 
is  not  much  new  here  that  would  interest  you.  We 
have  the  play  this  winter  only  every  Tuesday.  The 
players  are  in  Mainz,  and  snow  and  ice  render  the 
roads  exceedingly  bad.  Greet  my  son  many  times, 
and  believe  that  I  am  evermore 

Your  faithful  mother, 

E.  GOETHE. 


49.  Duchess  Anna  Amalia  to  Frau  Rath. 

WEIMAR,  the  22d  Febr. ,  84. 

DEAR  MOTHER  :  He  who  comes  slowly,  still 
comes.*  I  wanted  to  give  myself  the  pleasure  to 
send  you,  dear  Frau  Aja,  for  the  19  Febr.  ,f  some 
pretty  work  made  in  Weimar,  but,  unfortunately,  it 
is  but  just  now  done  ;  yet  receive  it,  even  now,  with 
love,  just  I  send  it  to  you  with  a  friendly  heart,  to- 
gether with  my  best  wishes  fou  the  continuance  for 
long  years  of  the  best  and  fairest  happiness.  In  re- 
gard to  the  money-purse,  which  was  made  by  my 
own  hand,  you  will,  I  hope,  kindly  overlook  its  de- 


*  "  Wer  langsam  kommt,  kommt  auch."    Fair  and  softly  goes  far. 
f  The  Frau  Rath's  birthday. 


I2O  Goethes  Mother. 

fects.  A  little  picture,  which  lies  in  it,  is  to  remind 
you,  now  and  then,  of  a  person  who  sincerely  loves 
and  values  you. 

Our*  winter  amusements  are  very  good  ;  the  theatri- 
cal company  is  not  to  be  counted  among  the  poor 
ones,  and  gives  us  many  a  pleasant  evening.  The 
snow  still  lies  very  deep  here.  How  the  earth  looks 
is  unknown  to  us,  since  it  has  been  covered  with  a 
white  mantle  for  two  months,  so  that  many  people 
complain  of  pains  in  the  eyes. 

How  do  you  like,  dear  mother,  the  journeys  in  the 
air  ?*  Would  that  not  be  a  pleasure,  if  Frau  Aja 
could  be  transported  in  the  air  and  sing  at  my  house 
in  Siefurth  ?  "  aus  Liiften  hoch  da  komm  ich  her  !" 
(From  high  in  the  air  I  come).  What  a  joy  would 
that  be  ! 

The  Herr  Sohn  has  gone  to  Ilmenau  on  mining 
affairs.  They  wish  to  seek  for  silver  mines,  and 
make  Weimar  rich  thereby  ;  may  God  grant  his  bless- 
ing !  How  did  Wilhelm  Meister  please  you  ?  It 
will,  without  doubt,  be  another  masterpiece  from 


*  Montgolfier's  balloons  were  then  attracting  universal  atten- 
tion. Everybody  was  experimenting  with  the  new  discovery,  and 
great  was  the  delight  when  any  one  succeeded  in  sending  up  into 
the  air  one  of  the  little  bladders  filled  with  gas,  which  are  now  so 
common  as  a  toy  for  children.  In  this  same  month  Wieland  writes 
to  Merck  of  a  successful  experiment  of  the  Duke's,  as  follows  : 

"This  evening  the  Duke  sent  up  in  his  mother's  house  for  the 
first  time  cum  successu,  a  little  balloon  made  of  a  bladder.  It  flew 
to  the  ceiling,  and  endeavored  to  bore  through,  but  as  this  was  im- 
practicable, they,  at  length,  showed  it  the  way  out  at  the  door ;  it 
flew  up  the  staircase,  and  mounted  to  the  garret.  Hallelujah  !  I 
did  not  see  it  myself,  but  it  is  said  to  have  been  very  pretty  to  see, 
and  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Court  enjoyed  it  greatly." 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrick  von  Stein.      i  2  i 

our  Herr  Wolff.     There  is  life  in  it.     He  is  a  Pro- 
metheus who  creates  for  himself  his  own  little  world. 
Adieu,  dear  mother,  I   kiss  you  a  thousand  times. 
Hold  me  dear,  as  I  ever  shall  be  yours, 

AMELIE. 

50.  Fran  Rath  to  FriedricJi  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  22d  March,  1784. 

DEAR  SON  :  Your  letter,  the  description  of  the 
journey  to  Ilmenau,  the  printed  speeches,  the 
flowers,  the  sketches  of  the  miners,  and,  altogether, 
everything  that  you  have  written  me  besides,  has 
rejoiced  me  very  much.  No  ;  I  have  never  yet  had 
such  a  dear,  diligent  correspondent  ;  it  will  be  a 
great  pleasure  to  me  if  you  will  have  the  kindness 
thus  to  continue.  The  least  occurrence  which  you 
report  has  more  charm  for  me  than  anything  else 
which  may  happen  in  the  wide  world.  It  is  the 
truth  that  we  have  had  here  very  high  water  ;  that  of 
1764  was  a  joke  to  it.  Our  city  is  divided  into  four- 
teen districts  ;  three  remained  exempt,  the  eleven 
others  were  in  great  distress.  My  cellar  is  now  in  the 
finest  order  again,  and,  thank  God,  there  is  not  the 
least  thing  injured,  and  to  show  that  my  Oberon  wine* 


*  Allusion  to  Wieland's  Oberon,  II.,  47,  where  Oberon  gives 
wine  to  Scherasmin. 

"  Und  als  er  ihn  auf  einen  Zug  gcleert, 
Ist's  ihm,  als  ob  mit  wollustvoller  Hitze 
Ein  neuer  Lebensgeist  durch  a!le  Adern  blitze." 
In  Sotheby's  translation  : 

"  But  when  his  breathless  draught  had  drained  the  bowl 
He  feels,  like  lightning  with  forgotten  heat, 
The  dancing  life  blood  in  his  arteries  beat, 
And  spirits  gay  reanimate  his  soul." 


122  Goethes  Mother. 

is  still  well  preserved  ;  six  flagons  will  shortly  ar- 
rive at  my  son's.  Your  seal  is  very  handsome,  how 
glad  I  shall  always  be  when  it  comes  in  my  sight  ! 
My  fairest  and  best  wishes  to  your  dear  mother,  to 
my  son,  to  Gevatter  Wieland.  But  you,  my  dear 
son,  continue  to  communicate  to  me  good  tidings 
from  time  to  time,  you  will  thereby  much  oblige  her 
who  is  evermore 

My  dear  son's  faithful  mother, 

ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 

5 1 .  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  3Oth  March,  1784. 

DEAR  SON  :  You  cannot  think  how  your  sil- 
houette has  delighted  me.  Now  I  can,  at  least, 
form  an  idea  of  my  dear  correspondent.  I  thank  you 
for  it  very  much.  It  would  be  very  agreeable  for 
me  if  you  were  to  go  with  my  son  to  Eisenach,  for 
then  I  should  also  learn  what  may  occur  there,  and 
I  read  your  letters  with  great  pleasure.  I  wish  from 
my  heart  that  the  everlasting  snow  would  cease  for 
once,  that  you  might  enjoy  yourself  in  your  little 
garden  ;  with  us  it  is  still  severe  winter  ;  to-day 
hardly  any  one  can  go  out  of  the  house  on  account 
of  the  terrible  snow  and  wind.  A  few  days  ago  there 
went  up  in  the  air  a  small  air-balloon  two  feet  high, 
it  was  droll  to  see.  For  to-day,  I  must  close,  the 
post  is  going,  and  I  am  sorry  to  leave  unanswered  a 
letter  from  you,  my  dear  son,  but  a  little  is  always 
better  than  nothing  ;  be  assured  that  I  am  unchange- 
ably 

Your  faithful  mother, 

ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 


Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia.    123 

52.  Frau  Rath  to  Fricdrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  on  the  first  Easter  holiday,  1784. 
DEAR  SON  :  I  wish  very  much  that  you  were  now 
with  me.  Day  after  to-morrow  our  play  begins 
again,  and,  besides,  an  entirely  new  piece  will  be 
given,  Kabale  und  Liebe,  by  Schiller,  the  author  of 
The  Robbers.  Everybody  wants  to  see  it,  and  the 
house  will  be  very  full.  My  best  thanks  for  your 
dear  and  very  pleasant  letter  and  for  the  weekly 
paper.  It  rejoices  me  very  much  that  you  are  willing 
to  begin  the  diary  again,  yet  I  by  no  means  ask 
that  you  should  inconvenience  yourself,  for  when 
one  is  on  a  journey,  or  at  other  times,  things  occur ; 
then,  as  a  matter  of  course,  writing  must  wait. 
Herewith  I  send  a  little  fairing,  and  hope  that  it 
may  please  you.  Greet  your  mother,  my  son,  and  all 
good  friends  from  her  who  is  unchangeably 
My  dear  son's  faithful  mother, 

E.  G. 

53.  Frau  Rath  to  Duchess  Anna  Amalia. 

FRANKFORT,  on  the  i3th  June,  1784. 
MOST  SERENE  PRINCESS  :  Hofrath  Bode  was  a 
very  agreeable  Bote  (messenger)  to  me,*  for  he 
brought  good  tidings  of  our  dear  Princess,  and  such 
a  gracious,  charming  little  letter,  which  gave  me 
the  joyful  assurance  that  remembrance  of  me  is  still 
green  and  flourishing  with  a  Princess  whose  favor 
and  good  wishes  I  value  above  everything  in  the 
world.  Your  Serene  Highness  has  the  kindness  to 

*  "  Hofiath  Bode  war  mir  ein  gar  lieber  Bote."     This  is  a  pun. 


124  Goethe's  Mother. 

ask  how  it  is  with  me.  Thank  God,  ever  still  in  the 
same  old  way  ;  that  is,  being  interpreted,  well,  happy, 
in  good  spirits,  and  so  on.  To  be  sure,  in  my  situa- 
tion, this  is,  indeed,  no  great  art.  But  yet,  for  all 
that,  it  depends  more  on  an  inward  contentment 
with  God,  with  myself,  and  with  the  rest  of  man- 
kind, than  directly  on  the  outward  circumstances.  I 
know  so  many  people  who  are  not  at  all  happy,  who 
make  to  themselves  their  little  bit  of  life  so  sour, 
and,  for  all  their  gloom  and  their  undesirable  mode 
of  being,  fate  is  not  in  the  least  to  blame.  In  dis- 
content then  lies  the  whole  fault.  Your  Serene 
Highness  will  pardon  me  this  moral  broth  ;  *  it  is, 
besides,  not  precisely  in  my  line,  but  within  a  short 
time  I  have  become  the  condfiant  of  various  persons, 
who  all  consider  themselves  unhappy,  and  yet  there 
is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  it.  Consequently,  their 
vexation  and  torment  make  me  sorry  for  the  poor 
souls,  and  so  on.  The  terribly  long  winter  makes 
one  doubly  sensible  of  the  joys  of  spring.  I,  too, 
dearest  Princess,  enjoy  as  much  as  is  ever  possible 
the  magnificence  of  beautiful  nature,  and  the  exquisite 
image  of  our  dearest  Princess  accompanies  me  in  all 
the  joys  of  life.  I  should  only  like  once  more  to 
enjoy  the  good  fortune  of  seeing  the  original,  so 
dear  to  me  !  Is  there,  then,  no  probability  at  all 
of  this — no  possibility  ?  Son  Wolff,  also,  does  not 
come  ;  and  yet  there  come  from  east  and  west,  south 
and  north,  figures  which  might  stay  away.  All  this, 
indeed,  belongs  to  the  miseries  of  the  time.  How  is, 
then,  my  dear,  gracious  Fraulein  von  Gochhausen  ? 

*  "  Diese  moralische  Brtihe." 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein.       125 

The  dear  fraulein  seems  to  be  somewhat  shy  of  ink, 
an  ill  which  often  attacks  me  too.  May  I  humbly 
beg  you  to  present  my  friendly  greeting,  and  to  add 
how  heartily  I  long  to  appear  before  her  eyes  with 
the  splendid  nosegay  ?  *  God  grant  that  it  may  soon 
occur,  Amen.  I  commend  myself  in  all  submissive- 
ness  to  further  favor,  and  remain  until  the  grave, 
Most  Serene  Princess, 

Your  most  humbly  faithful,  most  obe- 
dient servant  (Dienerin), 

GOETHE. 

54.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  2d  July,  1784. 

DEAR  SON  :  I  recognize,  in  your  last  letter,  all 
your  friendly  feeling  toward  me  ;  it  would  give  me 
also  great  pleasure  to  see  you  and  my  son  ;  but  it  is 
in  no  wise  practicable  ;  travelling  was  never  my 
forte,  and  just  now  it  is  almost  utterly  impossible. 
It  would  be  too  much  at  length  for  me  to  mention 
all  the  circumstances  which  prevent  me  ;  and  you, 
my  dear  son,  would  after  all  not  comprehend  me, 
because  you  do  not  know  the  details  of  my  situa- 
tion. Providence  has  already  granted  me  many  an 
unexpected  joy,  and  I  have  the  confident  belief  that 
many  more  such  await  me,  and  to  see  you  and  my 
son  here  belongs  certainly  among  the  very  greatest  ; 
and  I  am  sure  my  hope  will  not  be  confounded. 
Keep  her  in  good  remembrance  who  is  unchange- 
ably 

Your  faithful  mother,  E.  G. 

*  Birthday  gift  from  Fiaulein  von  Gochhausen. 


126  Goethes  Mother. 

55.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FRANKFORT,  the  pth  September,  1784. 
DEAR  SON  :  Although  you  would  have  received 
this  letter  sooner  through  the  post,  yet  I  could  not 
refuse  the  bringer  of  it,  who  begged  me  very  much 
to  give  him  something  to  take  with  him.  I  thank 
you  with  all  my  heart  for  the  description  of  your 
person,  so  dear  and  interesting  to  me  ;  especially  it 
rejoices  me  that  you  already  know  so  well  what  is 
good  in  you  and  what  not.  Bravo,  dear  son  !  that 
is  the  only  way  to  become  noble,  great,  and  useful  to 
mankind.  A  man  who  does  not  know  his  own  faults, 
or  does  not  wish  to  know  them,  will  in  the  end  be- 
come insupportable,  vain,  full  of  pretension,  intoler- 
ant— no  one  will  be  able  to  endure  him,  even  were 
he  the  greatest  genius.  I  know  striking  examples  of 
this.  But  the  good  that  is  in  us  we  must  also  know  ; 
this  is  just  as  necessary,  just  as  useful.  A  man  who 
does  not  know  what  his  value  is,  who  does  not  know 
his  own  ability,  and,  consequently,  has  no  belief  in 
himself,  is  a  simpleton  who  has  no  firm  step  and 
footing,  but  goes  forever  in  leading-strings,  and  in 
seculum  seculorum  remains  a  child.  Dear  son,  keep 
in  this  good  way,  and  your  excellent  parents  will 
bless  the  day  of  your  birth.  It  is  a  great  proof  of 
your  love  and  friendship  that  you  ask  for  an  exact 
description  of  my  person.  Herewith  I  send  you  two 
silhouettes.  To  be  sure,  in  the  large  one  the  nose  is 
a  little  too  strong,  and  the  small  one  is  too  youthful, 
yet,  with  all  that,  there  is  much  that  is  correct  in 
them.  I  am  in  person  rather  stout  and  rather  cor- 
pulent ;  have  brown  eyes  and  hair,  and  would  ven- 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein.       127 

ture  to  think  that  I  could  well  personate  the  mother 
of  Prince  Hamlet.  Many  persons,  the  Princess  of 
Dessau  among  the  rest,  maintain  that  no  one  could 
fail  to  see  that  Goethe  is  my  son.  I  cannot  quite 
make  it  out,  yet  there  must  be  something  in  it,  be- 
cause it  has  been  so  frequently  maintained.  Order 
and  quiet  are  leading  traits  of  my  character  ;  hence 
I  do  everything  at  once,  right  off-hand — the  most 
disagreeable  always  first — and  swallow  the  devil  (ac- 
cording to  Gevatter  Wieland's  wise  counsel  *)  with- 
out looking  long  at  him.  When  all,  then,  lies  again 
in  the  old  folds,  when  everything  uneven  is  again 
smooth,  then  I  bid  defiance  to  any  one  who  would 
surpass  me  in  good  humor.  Now,  dear  son,  come 
some  time  and  see  all  this  for  yourself.  I  will  take 
all  pains  to  procure  for  you  joy  and  pleasure. 

Be  assured  that   I   am   evermore  your  true  friend 
and  faithful  mother,  E.  G. 

56.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FRANKFORT,  the  23d  December,  1784. 
DEAR  SON  :  Do  not,  on  any  account,  believe  that 
I  had  forgotten  you  ;  that  is  not  at  all  my  habit.  The 
cause  of  my  not  writing  for  the  present  lies  in  the 
short  days.  I  cannot  without  injury  to  my  health 
write  immediately  after  dinner,  and,  just  as  little,  by 

*  Herr  Gawin  war  dem  Zaudern  gram, 
Er  denkt :  "wer  sich  den  Teufel  zu  verschlucken 
Entschlossen  hat,  muss  ihn  nicht  lang  begucken." 

WIELAND,  "  Sommermahrchen." 

Herr  Gawin  was  no  friend  to  delay.     He  thinks:  "Whoever 
has  resolved  to  swallow  the  devil  must  not  look  at  him  long." 


128  Goethes  Mother. 

candlelight.  In  the  morning  it  is  not  day  before  half 
past  eight,  and  by  the  time  I  am  dressed,  and  have 
the  rest  of  my  affairs  in  order,  it  is  mid-day,  one 
knows  not  how  ;  should  morning  visits  occur  besides, 
which  happens  not  infrequently,  writing  is  entirely 
omitted.  I  am  convinced  that  these  reasons  are 
obvious  to  you.  Now,  further,  I  have  received  safely 
the  drawings,  and  thank  you  for  them.  I  will  also 
help  to  pray  that  her  Serene  Highness*  may  be 
brought  happily  to  bed.  The  Lord  Duke  is  still  in 
Darmstadt,  and  diverts  himself  with  the  hunt.  He 
came  through  Frankfort,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
entertaining  him  in  my  house  at  a  breakfast.  I  am 
much  more  fortunate  than  Frau  von  Reck.  That  lady 
must  travel  about  in  order  to  see  Germany's  learned 
men  ;  they  all  visit  me  in  my  house,  which  is  by  far 
more  commodious.  Yes,  yes,  those  to  whom  God  is 
gracious  He  blesses  in  their  sleep. f  Dear  son,  firmly 
convinced  that  you  prize  my  good-will  above  my 
deed,  I  send  you  herewith  something  from  our  Christ- 
mas bonbons,  with  a  purse,  because  its  fashion  and 
color  seemed  to  me  pretty.  We  have  snow  here 
also  ;  that,  now,  I  like  very  well  ;  but  such  high 
water  as  last  year  I  will  pray  to  have  averted.  Fare- 
well. Greet  your  dear  mother,  my  son,  Herder, 
Wieland,  Bode,  and  so  on,  from 
Your  faithful  mother, 

E.  G. 


*  Duchess  Louisa,  of  Saxe-Weimar. 

f  "  Ja,  ja,  wem's  Gott  gonnt,  giebt  er's  im  Schlaf."  The  Frau 
Rath  probably  had  in  her  mind  the  passage  in  the  i27th  Psalm, 
which  reads,  in  Luther's  translation,  "  Denn  seinen  Freunden  gibt 
er  es  schlafend."  (He  blesses  His  own  while  they  sleep.) 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein.      129 

57.   Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  1 6th  May,  1785. 

DEAR  SON  :  During  this  fair  the  weather  was  cold 
and  very  unfriendly,  and  it  is  not  yet  particularly 
agreeable.  On  the  i6th  April  the  joy  and  pleasure 
of  the  whole  city  was  near  being  turned  into  mourn- 
ing and  lamentation.  Fire  broke  out  after  midnight 
in  the  splendid  new  play-house,  and  had  help  come 
a  half  hour  later  all  would  have  been  lost.  The 
Director  has  lost  everything — brought  off  nothing  but 
his  life,  and  those  of  his  six  children.  But  in  such 
cases,  may  God  honor  my  Frankforters,  three  collec- 
tions were  opened  at  once,  one  by  the  nobles,  one 
by  the  merchants,  one  by  the  Free  Masons,  and 
brought  together  a  fine  sum.  His  children,  too,  got 
so  many  goods,  clothing,  etc.,  that  it  was  a  pleasure 
to  see.  As  the  disaster  had  spared  the  theatre,  per- 
formances were  resumed  three  days  after,  and,  in  fact, 
with  Der  deutsche  Hausvater  (the  German  father  of  a 
famil^,  in  which  Director  Grossman  plays  the  painter 
capitally.  Before  it  began  the  curtain  rose,  and  he 
appeared  in  his  half-burned  coat,  with  his  head  and 
hands  bound  up,  which  had  received  severe  injuries, 
and  made  a  speech,  which  I  send  you  herewith.  His 
six  children  stood  about  him  in  miserable  clothing, 
and  cried  so,  all  of  them,  that  -one  must  have  been  i 
of  wood  and  stone  not  to  have  cried  with  them  ; 
indeed  there  was  not  a  dry  eye,  and  in  order  to  en- 
courage him  and  to  convince  him  that  the  public  had 
pardoned  his  carelessness,  they  applauded  him  by 
shouting  "  Bravo"  and  clapping  hands. 


130  Goethes  Mother. 

I  have  related  to  my  son  the  particulars  of  my  ill- 
ness ;  it  was  a  severe  cold,  but  now  I  am  right  well 
again.     Farewell,  and  greet  my  son.     I  am  evermore 
Your  true  friend, 

E.  G. 


The  eight  letters  which  follow  relate  to  a  visit  of 

o 

Fritz  von  Stein  to  his  "  dear  mother"  in  Frankfort. 
Among  them  is  one  from  Fritz  himself,  the  only  one 
of  his  to  the  Frau  Rath  which  has  been  published. 

The  novelties  of  the  day  were  Mozart's  Marriage 
of  Figaro  and  balloon  ascensions. 

The  Frau  Rath  at  once  nicknamed  her  little  friend 
Cherubino,  and  delighted  him  with  the  music  of  the 
Countess  and  the  Page. 

About  the  balloons,  to  the  surprise  of  her  son, 
she  seems  to  have  been  less  enthusiastic,  in  spite  of 
the  great  excitement  in  Frankfort  over  Blanchard. 
When  the  latter  returned  to  the  city  after  his  ascen- 
sion of  the  3d  October,  1785,  he  v/as  received  with 
the  wildest  enthusiasm.  His  carriage  was  drawn  by 
men  to  the  theatre,  where  he  was  led  from  box  to  box 
amid  universal  congratulations.  On  the  stage  his  bust 
was  crowned  in  a  Temple  of  Fame,  while  Graces  and 
Loves  advanced,  singing  couplets  in  his  praise,  to 
place  the  laurel  upon  his  brow.  He  was  presented 
with  gold  snuff-boxes,  watches,  medals,  and  money  ; 
and  twelve  German  princes  and  princesses  who 
chanced  to  be  at  Frankfort  subscribed  for  a  balloon 
capable  of  carrying  fifty  persons,  to  be  ready  for  the 
next  coronation. 


Goethe  to  Friedrick  von  Stein.          131 

58.    Goethe  to  Friedrick  von  Stein. 

One  is  so  much  occupied  here  the  whole  day, 
although  nothing  really  is  done,  that  I  have  not  yet 
been  able  to  write  to  thee. 

I  have  received  thy  letter,  and  am  pleased  that 
the  Herren  Straube  are  willing  to  take  thee  with 
them  to  Frankfort.  Thou  must  thank  them  for  it  at 
once,  and  accept  it  in  the  manner  it  was  offered. 

We  have  climbed  many  mountains  and  shall  bring 
with  us  for  thee,  too,  many  stones  and  ores.  Herr 
v.  Knebel  greets  thee,  thy  mother  also.  She  is  very 
well. 

There  are  a  great  many  people  here,  also  a  few 
creatures  of  thy  age.  Every  one  comes  with  his 
little  jug,  early  in  the  morning,  to  Sprudel,*  and 
partakes  of  the  hot  water. 

I  am  well,  and  hope  thou  art  so.  Distribute 
many  greetings  from  me. 

G. 

CARLSBAD,  the  i3th  July,    '85. 

59.   Goethe  to  Fricdrich  von  Stein. 

I  am  very  glad  that  thou  hast  arrived  safely,  and 
been  well  received.  Think  often  of  the  precepts 
of  old  Polonius,  and  thou  wilt  continue  to  get  on 
well. 

Write  but  something  every  day,  that  we  may  know 
what  thou  art  about.  Thy  mother  is  in  Kochberg 
and  thy  father  here.  I  am  very  much  alone,  and 
in  the  mean  time  am  unpacking  the  Carlsbad  stones. 

*  Hot  spring  at  Carlsbad. 


132  Goethe s  Mother. 

Greet  my  mother,  and  relate  to  her  a  great  deal. 
As  she  is  not  so  grave  as  I  am,  thou  wilt  fare  bet- 
ter with  her.     Enjoy  the  good  fruit,   and  greet  all 

repeatedly  from  me. 

G. 
WEIMAR,  the  5th  September,  1785. 

60.  Friedrich  von  Stein*  to  Fran  Rath. 

DEAR  GODMOTHER  :  I  have  arrived  here  safely, 
and  now  I  will  tell  you  about  my  journey.  We  did 
not  set  out  Tuesday  evening  until  8  o'clock, 
although  at  6  o'clock  you  gave  me  your  parting 
blessing.  In  Hanau  there  were  no  horses  to  be  had, 
so  we  slept  there  the  whole  night,  and  the  next 
morning  at  6  o'clock  we  were  conveyed  on,  and  for 
our  whole  journey  to  Eisenach  we  had  none  but 
tired  horses.  We  got  there  Thursday  evening. 
Friday  we  remained  at  Eisenach  and  arrived  Satur- 
day night  at  I  o'clock.  On  coming  into  the  town 
we  found  two  houses  burned  down.  Your  son  greets 
you  heartily.  I  owe  you  many  thanks  for  all  the 
kindness  you  have  lavished  upon  me.  I  shall  always 
owe  you  hearty  "thanks  for  it — hearty  thanks,  dear 
godmother.  Many  people  think  I  have  grown  stout. 
I  can  well  believe  it,  for  you  have  fed  me  so  well, 
better  than  the  Countess  did  Cherubino.  Your  son 
was  very  much  astonished  that  you  were  such  a 
philosopher  about  the  balloon.  I  thank  you  once 
more.  All  greet  you. 

FRIEDRICH. 

WEIMAR,  the  3d  October,  '85. 


Twelve  years  of  age. 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  133 


61.   Goethe  to  his  Mother. 

You  have  shown  me  many  kindnesses,  dear  mother, 
this  year,  for  which  I  heartily  thank  you.  The  kind 
reception  of  dear  Fritz  and  the  care  for  him  gives 
me  pleasure  as  something  done  wholly  out  of  love 
for  me.  You  will  find  that  he  is  a  charming  child, 
and  his  narrations  are  now  giving  me  great  pleasure. 
If  one,  after  the  manner  of  Swedenborgian  spirits, 
wishes  to  look  through  the  eyes  of  others,  one  would 
do  best  to  choose  children's  eyes  for  that  purpose  ; 
he  has  arrived  with  Hr.  v.  Niebecker,  safe  and  well. 

Thank  all  friends  from  me.  To  Riese  I  write  my- 
self. Farewell  ;  very  soon  I  shall  send  something 
amusing.  What  effect  have  The  Gcschwister  pro- 
duced ? 

G. 

W.,  the  3d  Octbr,  1785. 


On  the  6th  October,  1785,  Goethe  writes  to  Frau 
von  Stein  :*  "  I  must,  then,  wait  still  until  next 
Wednesday,  and  the  days  will  pass  silently  by  unless 
Fritz  should  be  noisy.  He  is  merrier  than  ever  be- 
fore. He  has  in  Frankfort  first  rightly  learned  to 
know  freedom,  and  my  mother  has  first  fully  taught 
him  the  philosophy  of  a  cheerful  life.  Thou  wilt  be 
astonished  to  see  how  much  he  is  improved  in  every 
respect." 

*  Goethe's  "  Briefe  an  Frau  von  Stein."     Edited  by  Scholl. 


134  Goethes  Mother. 

62.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  20th  October,  1785. 

MY  DEAR  CHERUBIM  :  Your  so  fortunately  com- 
pleted journey  and  the  detailed  description  of  it  gave 
me  much  pleasure.  It  also  delighted  my  inmost  heart 
that  my  dear  Fritz  has  me  in  good  remembrance. 
But  I  forget  just  as  little,  my  dear  good  son. 
Everything  reminds  me  of  him — the  pears  which 
tasted  so  good  to  him  early  in  the  morning  while  I 
drank  my  tea ;  how  we,  after  that,  had  ourselves 
rigged  up,  he  by  Sachs,  I  by  Zeitz,  and  how,  after  the 
powder-gods  were  done  with  us,  there  began  a  dress- 
ing and  an  adorning,  and  then  the  vis-a-vis  at  table, 
and  how  I  at  two  o'clock  chased  my  cherubim  off 
to  the  fair  (truly  sometimes  rather  rudely),  and  how 
we  met  again  at  the  play,  and  the  bringing  home,  and 
then  the  Duodrama  in  the  hall,  where  the  stout 
Catharine  held  the  light,  while  Greineld  and  Marie 
represented  the  audience-  -that  was  always  capital  fun. 
Herewith  I  send  you  a  faithful,  true,  and  detailed 
description,  signed  by  wearers  of  stars  and  order-rib- 
bons, of  the  air-balloon,  which  first  exploded  but 
afterward  flew  up  in  the  air  to  the  delight  of  all 
Christendom,  together  with  all  the  king-klang  and 
sing-song,  amusing  to  read  and  devout  to  contem- 
plate. For  the  rest  I  am  well,  and  shall  to-day  see 
Count  Essex  beheaded.  Yesterday  the  serene  Saul 
was  on  hand  and  delighted  everybody  ;  but,  good 
God  !  what  does  not  one  see  in  noble  Frankfort ! 
Heaven  keep  us  thereby.  Amen.  May  you  live 
happy  and  fortunate  ;  this  is  my  wish,  and  it  will  ever 
be  grateful  to  the  heart  of 

Your  faithful  friend  and  godmother,         E.  G. 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrick  von  Stein.      135 

63.  Frau  RatJi  to  Frau  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  I4th  November,  1785. 
GRACIOUS  LADY,  DEAREST  FRIEND  :  I  was  very 
glad  that  your  son  was  so  pleased  with  his  stay  with 
me.  I  have  done  everything  at  least  to  make  my 
native  city  agreeable  to  him,  and  rejoice  that  I  have 
been  successful.  True,  I  have  the  grace  from  God, 
that  as  yet  no  living  soul  has  ever  left  me  dissatis- 
fied, of  whatever  rank,  age,  or  sex.  I  love  human 
kind,  and  old  and  young  feel  it.  I  go  without  pre- 
tension through  the  world,  and  that  pleases  all 
earth's  sons  and  daughters.  I  demoralize  no  one, 
always  seek  to  spy  out  the  good  side,  and  leave  the 
bad  one  to  Him  who  created  man,  andwho  best  un- 
derstands how  to  smooth  off  the  sharp  angles  ;  and 
by  this  method  I  find  myself  well,  happy,  and  con- 
tent ;  with  which  I  have  the  honor  to  remain  and  to 
commend  myself  most  respectfully  to  further  good- 
will and  friendship,  and  to  subscribe  myself,  gracious 
lady, 

Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 

ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 

P.S.     To  your  husband,  as  well  as  to  both  your 
sons,  my  best  compliments. 

64.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  loth  December,  1785. 
DEAR  SON  :  That  is  good,  that  you  still  think  of 
me.    I  and  my  friends  also,  dear  Fritz,  have  not  for- 
gotten you,  and  never  will.     We  have,  this  winter, 


136  Goethes  Mother. 

three  public  concerts,  but  I  go  to  none  of  them  ;  at 
least,  I  am  not  a  subscriber  ;  the  grand  one  which  is 
given  on  Fridays  is  too  stiff  for  me,  the  Monday  one 
too  poor,  the  Wednesday  one  gives  me  ennui,  and 
that  I  can  have  more  comfortably  in  my  own  sitting- 
room.  During  the  four  weeks  of  Advent  we  have  no 
play ;  after  New  Year's  we  are  to  have  a  company 
from  Strassburg.  The  director  is  named  Kober- 
wein.  For  the  rest  I  am,  as  ever,  in  good  spirits  ; 
that  is,  after  all,  the  chief  thing.  In  my  little  house- 
hold everything  goes  on  the  same  as  you  saw  it,  only 
as  it  pleases  the  sun  to  stay  longer  in  bed,  so  it 
pleases  me  too  :  before  half-past  nine  I  do  not  come 
out  of  the  feathers.  I  cannot  see,  either,  why  I 
should  fatigue  myself — quiet,  quiet  is  my  felicity  ; 
and  since  God  grants  it  me,  I  enjoy  it  with  thankful- 
ness. Every  Sunday  I  dine  with  Frau  Stock ;  in 
the  evening  come  Frau  Hollweg  Bethmann,  her 
mother,  Demoiselle  Moritz,  Herr  Thurneisen,  Herr 
Graf,  and  we  play  quadrille,  1'hombre,  and  so  on, 
and  enjoy  ourselves  greatly.  On  other  days  also  The 
good  God  bestows  something,  and  thus  one  wanders 
through  the  world,  enjoys  its  little  pleasures,  and 
pretends  to  no  great  ones.  Farewell,  dear  son,  and 
hold  her  dear  who  calls  herself 

Your  faithful  friend,  E.  G. 

65.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  i8th  December,  1785. 
DEAR  FRITZ  :  To  keep  myself  snugly  in  the  mem- 
ory of  my  dear  son,  and  that  he  may  not  forget  his 
good  mother,  I  send  him,  herewith,  a  little  remem- 


Frau  Rath  to  her  Grandchildren.     137 

brance  ;  at  the  same  time  come  the  two  favorite 
songs ;  and  as  I  do  not  know  whether  the  German 
Figaro  is  in  fashion  at  Weimar,  the  ballad  follows 
also.  Dear  Fritz,  do  you  still  remember  how  we  sang 
together,  and  were  so  cheerful  and  merry  over  it  ? 
"  Frohlichkeit  ist  die  Mutter  aller  Tugenden,"* 
says  Gotz  von  Berlichingen,  and  he  is  surely  right. 
When  we  are  contented  and  happy,  we  wish  to  see 
everybody  pleased  and  cheerful,  and  we  do  every- 
thing to  conduce  to  this,  within  our  sphere  of  activity. 
As  everything  here  is  now  going  on  very  quietly,  I 
can  find  nothing  at  all  amusing  to  write  ;  I  there- 
fore do  better  to  copy  off  Figaro's  song.  I  wish  you 
pleasant  holidays,  and  am  and  remain 

Your  true,  good  friend,  E.  G. 


66.  Frau  Rath  to  her  Grandchildren.^ 

The  1 3th  January,  1786. 

DEAR  GRANDCHILDREN  :  I  am  very  glad  that  my 
Christmas  present  has  given  you  pleasure.  I  hear, 
too,  the  whole  year,  from  your  dear  mother,  that 
you  are  clever  and  good  girls.  Continue  so — nay,  be- 
come still  better  as  you  grow ;  obey  your  dear 
parents,  who  certainly  seek  your  welfare  ;  thus  you 
will  give  joy  to  us  all  ;  and  it  is  very  charming 


*"Gotz  von  Berlichingen,"  act  i.  scene  ii.  Brother  Martin 
says,  '•  Freudigkeit  ist  die  Mutter  aller  Tugenden,"  Joyousness 
is  the  mother  of  all  virtues. 

f  These  were  Schlosser's  children,  Louisa  and  Julia,  by  his  first 
wife,  Cornelia  Goethe  ;  Henrietta  and  Edward,  by  his  second  wife, 
Johanna  Fahlmer. 


138  Goethes  Mother. 

when,  in  "return  for  all  the  pains  of  your  bringing 
up,  your  parents,  grandmother,  and  other  friends 
are  pleased  with  you.  With  the  knitting-bag  I  am 
much  delighted  ;  I  take  it  with  me  to  all  companies, 
and  tell  of  my  Louisa's  skill  and  industry.  You 
must  now  teach  your  brother  Edward  to  run  about 
nicely,  so  that  when  the  spring  comes  he  can  jump 
about  with  you  in  the  garden  ;  that  will  be  fun.  If 
I  were  with  you  I  would  teach  you  all  sorts  of 
games,  as  bird-selling,  hunt-the-handkerchief,  potz 
schimper,  potz  schemper,  and  many  others  besides  ; 
but  the  G. 's  must  know  all  these  just  as  well  ;  they 
are  great  fun  for  children,  and  you  know  indeed  that 
your  grandmother  likes  to  be  merry  and  to  make 
others  merry. 

Now  God  keep  you  this  year  well,  happy,  and 
gay,  which  will  heartily  rejoice 

Your  faithful,  loving  grandmother 

GOETHE. 

67.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  25th  May,  1786. 

Ei  !  Ei  !  my  dear  son  !  You  seem  to  be  really 
vexed  with  your  godmother  !  But  first  hear  my 
excuses,  and  I  wager  all  enmity  will  be  at  an  end. 
It  is  true  that  I  have  not  answered  two  of  your  let- 
ters ;  but,  dear  friend,  it  was  fair-time  !  Friends  and 
acquaintances  took  up  all  my  time.  Herr  Kriegs- 
rath  Merck  was  here  every  day,  the  celebrated  poet 
Burger,  Reichardt  from  Berlin,  and  other  less  im- 
portant mortals.  Writing  was  not  to  be  thought  of  ; 
and  what  I  now  do  I  do  against  the  order  of  my 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein.      1 39 

physician,  who,  with  the  whey-drinking  (which  I  am 
now  following),  has  forbidden  all  writing ;  yet  to 
appease  my  dear  son  I  will  write,  after  all,  in  spite 
of  the  whole  medical  faculty.  The  8th  May  was  a 
joyous  day  to  me  as  well  as  to  Goethe's  friends — 
"  Gotz  von  Berlichingen"  was  performed.  I  send  the 
play-bill  herewith.  You  will  perhaps  still  remember 
the  people  whom  you  saw  on  the  stage  while  you 
were  here.  The  appearance  of  Brother  Martin, 
Gotz  before  the  councillors  at  Heilbronn,  the  bullet- 
casting,  the  battle  with  the  imperial  army,  the  dying 
scenes  of  Weislingen  and  of  Gotz,  produced  great 
effect.  The  question,  "  Whence  come  you,  most 
learned  Sir  ?"  and  the  reply,  "  From  Frankfort  on  the 
Main,"  raised  such  shouting  and  applause  as  was  joy- 
ful to  hear,  and  the  way  in  which  the  Prince  (for 
here  and  in  Mainz  bishops  are  not  allowed  on  the 
stage)  sat  there  in  stupid  ease  and  said  :  "  Potz,  then 
the  ten  commandments  must  be  in  it  too,"  the  great- 
est grumbler  must  have  laughed.  Summa  Summa- 
rum  !  I  had  a  hearty  enjoyment  in  the  whole  per- 
formance. Now,  dear  son,  are  you  once  more  at  one 
with  me  ?  This  is  after  all  a  tolerably  fair  letter  for 
a  woman  to  whom  writing  is  forbidden.  We  are 
again  good  friends  and  in  this  hope  I  subscribe  my- 
self as 

Your  true  and  faithful  friend, 

E.  G. 

P.S.  Tuesday,  the  3<Dth  May,  at  the  request  of 
the  Hereditary  Prince  of  Darmstadt,  Gotz  von  Bcr- 
licJiingen  is  to  be  again  performed.  Potz,  little  Fritz, 
that  will  be  sport  ! 


140  Goethe's  Mother. 

68.  Frau  Rath  to  Lavater. 

Early  Sunday  morning, 

at  6  o'clock,  the  i8th  June,  1786. 

DEAR  SON  :  The  Princess  of  Wiirtemberg,  mother 

of  the  Grand  Duchess,  is  coming  to-day  to  Offenbach 

to  hear  you  preach.     Her  Highness  begs  you  most 

politely  through  me   not   to   be   so    very    exact   in 

mounting  the  pulpit,  but  to  wait  until  she  has  come, 

which  probably  will  be  only  a  quarter  of   an  hour 

later.     The  bell-purse*  may  console  the  Offenbachers 

for  this  short  delay. 

Farewell  !  A  good  journey  to  you.    Hold  her  dear 
and  in  kind  remembrance  who  is  forever 
Your  faithful  friend, 

ELIZABETH  GOETHE. 


In  the  autumn  of  1786,  Goethe  left  Carlsbad,  where 

*  Alms  were  collected  in  a  purse  with  bells  attached  to  attract 
attention.  The  meaning  probably  is  that  the  amount  put  in  the 
purse  by  the  Princess  will  make  up  for  the  delay  she  may  cause. 

We  do  not  know  what  might  have  been  the  custom  at  Offenbach, 
but  at  Zurich  it  was  the  duty  of  the  pastor  himself  to  hold  the  bag. 
Goethe  narrates  how  Lavater  turned  this  circumstance  to  account 
for  his  physiognomical  studies  : 

"On  Sundays,  after  the  sermon,  it  was  his  duty,  as  an  ecclesi- 
astic, to  hold  the  short-handled  velvet  alms-bag  before  each  one 
who  went  out,  and  to  bless  as  he  received  the  pious  gift.  Now,  on 
a  certain  Sunday  he  proposed  to  himself,  without  looking  at  the 
several  persons  as  they  dropped  in  their  offerings,  to  observe  only 
their  hands,  and  by  them  silently  to  judge  of  the  forms  of  their 
owners.  Not  only  the  shape  of  the  finger,  but  its  peculiar  action 
in  dropping  the  gift,  was  attentively  noted  by  him,  and  he  had 
much  to  communicate  to  me  on  the  conclusions  he  had  formed." 
(Autobiography.) 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  141 

he  had  been  passing  a  portion  of  the  summer,  for 
Italy.  The  journey  was  kept  a  profound  secret  from 
every  one,  the  Duke  alone  excepted.  His  mother's 
first  intelligence  of  it  was  this  letter  from  Rome  which 
reached  her  on  the  I5th  November.  It  bore  date 
4th  November. 

The  Frau  Rath's  reply  to  this  letter  is  well  known  ; 
it  was  found  in  1868  in  the  police  archives  at  Vienna. 
Goethe's  letter,  on  the  other  hand,  was  printed  for 
the  first  time  in  1877.  It  was  found  among  the 
papers  of  Fritz  Schlosser,  and  appears  among  the 
Goethe  letters  which  have  been  collected  from  these 
papers.* 

Goethe  to  Jiis  Mother. 

ROME,  the  4th  Nov.,  '86. 

First  of  all  I  must  tell  you,  dear  mother,  that  I  have 
arrived  here  safe  and  sound.  My  journey,  which  I 
entered  upon  in  absolute  secrecy,  has  given  me  great 
pleasure.  I  have  come  through  Bavaria,  Tyrol,  by 
Verona,  Vicenza,  Padua,  Venice,  Ferrara,  Bologna, 
and  Florence,  quite  alone  and  unknown,  and  here 
also  I  preserve  a  kind  of  incognito. 

What  happiness  I  feel  that  so  many  of  my  life's 
dreams  and  wishes  are  being  fulfilled,  and  that  I  now 
see  in  actual  nature  the  objects  which  from  my  child- 
hood I  have  seen  in  engravings,  and  of  which  I  heard 
my  father  so  often  speak — this  I  cannot  express  to 
you. 

All  these  things,  it  is  true,  I   see  rather  late,  yet 

*  "  Goethe-Briefe  aus  Fritz  Schlosser's  Nachlass,"  von  Julius 
Frese. 


142  Goethes  Mother. 

with  all  the  more  benefit  and  a  great  deal  in  a  short 
time. 

How  long  I  shall  stay  I  do  not  yet  know  ;  it  will  de- 
pend upon  how  matters  are  at  home.  In  any  case  I 
shall  return  through  Switzerland  and  pay  you  a  visit, 
then  we  will  enjoy  ourselves  together,  but  this  must 
remain  a  secret  between  us. 

To-day  I  have  not  time  to  say  much  ;  I  only  wished 
you  should  speedily  share  in  my  joy.  I  shall  come 
back  as  a  new  man,  and  live  to  greater  enjoyment  for 
myself  and  my  friends. 

The  enclosed  letter  send  to  the  Bethmanns  with- 
out their  knowing  that  it  comes  through  you.  The 
Bethmanns  have  opened  a  credit  for  me,  without  be- 
ing aware  of  it,  in  an  assumed  name. 

Write  to  me  soon  at  length  how  you  are,  and  also 
whatever  news  there  may  be  ;  in  a  foreign  country 
everything  is  interesting  that  concerns  friends  and 
dear  ones. 

Also  for  my  guidance  tell  me  when  this  letter 
reaches  you.  Farewell,  and  keep  me  in  love. 

G. 

Goethe's  visit  to  Rome  gave  at  first  much  uneasi- 
ness to  the  Austrian  police.  Here  wras  the  Duke  of 
Saxe-Weimar's  Minister  of  State  concealing  himself 
in  Rome,  under  the  name  of  Herr  Muller.  What 
had  he  come  for?  Spies  were  set  to  watch  his 
movements.  What  they  ferreted  out  may  be  found 
in  the  letters  of  Cardinal  von  Herzan,  Imperial  Am- 
bassador at  the  Papal  Court,  to  Count  Kaunitz.* 

*  "  Die  theologische  Dienerschaft  am  Hofe  Joseph  II.,"  von 
Sebastian  Brunner. 


Goethe  s  Visit  to  Rome.  143 

The  secretary  of  the  Ambassador  scraped  acquaint- 
ance with  Goethe  at  an  inn.  All  he  found  out  was 
that  he  lived  mostly  with  artists,  and  refused  to  go 
into  society.  But  the  Cardinal  was  not  satisfied  with 
these  meagre  details.  While  Goethe  had  gone  to 
Naples,  the  Ambassador  writes  to  his  chief:  "I 
have  directed  my  secretary,  upon  whose  honesty  I 
can  rely,  that  on  Goethe's  return,  which  will  probably 
soon  follow,  he  must  place  himself  in  closer  relations 
with  him  in  order  to  be  in  a  position  to  keep  with 
security  a  watchful  eye  upon  his  conduct,  and  in  case 
of  need  upon  his  secret  intentions  ;  whatsoever  in 
consequence  comes  to  my  knowledge  I  shall  have 
the  honor  to  report  to  your  Excellency  without  de- 
lay."  They  discovered  that  his  letters  to  his  Prince 
were  under  his  own  address —  '  To  Herr  Goethe, 
Privy  Councillor  to  the  Duke  of  Saxe- Weimar. "  He 
had  also  an  active  correspondence  with  various 
learned  men,  and  with  his  mother  in  Frankfort  ;  "a 
letter  from  the  latter  my  secretary  has  got  into  his 
hands,  and  I  enclose  it  herewith."  Goethe  received 
this  letter,  and  it  must  have  been  stolen  from  his 
room. 

'  Tischbein,  the  painter,  introduced  him  to  his 
great  friend  and  patron,  the  Russian  Councillor  Rie- 
fenstein  ;  with  him  he  often  dined  and  was  very 
intimate.  Hirt,  the  antiquarian,  who  is  often  at  the 
house  of  the  young  Prince  of  Lichtenstein,  persuaded 
Goethe  to  allow  himself  te  be  presented  to  the  Prince 
with  express  prohibition  of  all  ceremony  ;  he  often 
afterward  went  there  to  dine.  By  this  Prince  he  was 
taken  to  the  Arcadian  Society,  where  he  was  made 
member  by  acclamation,  under  the  name  of  Megal- 


144  Goethes  Mother. 

lio  ;  from  that  time  he  allowed  himself  to  be  called 
Herr  Goethe,  or  Privy  Councillor  Goethe." 

The  letter  which  follows  is  the  one  which  the 
honest  secretary  "got  into  his  hands."  It  was 
found  in  1868,  by  Dr.  Sebastian  Brunner,  neatly  fold- 
ed among  the  Archives  at  Vienna.  A  more  harmless 
document  has  probably  rarely  found  its  way  into  a 
diplomatic  correspondence.  Fancy  the  wily  Kaunitz 
meditating  upon  the  Frau  Rath's  account  of  her  life, 
which  was  flowing  "  quietly  on  like  a  clear  brook," 
while  she  herself  was  "  as  happy  as  a  goddess." 

69.  Fran  Rath  to  Goethe  in  Rome. 

FRANKFORT,  the  i/th  November,  1786. 
DEAR  SON  :  An  apparition  from  the  other  world 
could  not  have  caused  me  more  astonishment  than 
thy  letter  from  Rome.  I  could  have  shouted*  for 
joy,  that  the  wish  which  lay  in  thy  heart  from  earliest 
youth  has  now  been  fulfilled.  A  man  like  thee,  with 
thy  knowledge,  with  thy  great  glance  for  all  that  is 
good,  great,  and  beautiful,  one  with  such  an  eagle  eye, 
a  journey  like  this  must  make  happy  and  fortunate 
for  all  the  rest  of  his  life,  and  not  thee  only,  but  all 
who  have  the  good  fortune  to  live  within  the  sphere 
of  thy  activity.  The  words  of  the  blessed  Kletten- 
berg  will  remain  ever  in  my  memory,  "  When  thy 
Wolfgang  goes  to  Mainz  he  brings  back  more  knowl- 
edge than  others  who  come  back  from  Paris  or  Lon- 
don." But  I  would  have  liked  to  have  seen  thee  at 
thy  first  sight  of  St.  Peter's.  However,  thou  prom- 
isest  to  visit  me  on  the  return  journey,  and  then  thou 

*  Or  "screamed."     Dr.  Frese  calls  this  letter  a  Freudenschrci. 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe  in  Rome.        145 

must  describe  me  everything  to  a  hair.  About  four 
weeks  ago,  Fritz  von  Stein  wrote  that  he  was  in  great 
perplexity  on  thy  account  ;  not  a  soul,  not  even  the 
Duke  knew  where  thou  wast  ;  everybody  thought 
thee  in  Bohemia,  and  so  on.  Thy  letter  of  the  4th 
November,  so  precious  and  interesting,  came  to  me 
on  the  evening  of  Wednesday,  the  I5th,  at  6  o'clock. 
The  Bethmanns'  letter  I  have  juggled  into  their 
hands  in  such  a  droll  way  that  they  certainly  will 
not  guess  it  comes  from  me.  Of  my  inner  and  outer 
well-being  here  follows  an  exact  and  faithful  descrip- 
tion. My  life  flows  quietly  on  like  a  clear  brook. 
Disquiet  and  commotion  were  never  agreeable  to  me, 
and  I  thank  Providence  for  my  days.  To  thousands 
such  a  life  would  seem  monotonous,  but  not  to  me  ; 
the  quieter  my  body  is  the  more  active  in  me  are  my 
thinking  powers.  Thus  I  can  pass  a  whole  live-long 
day  entirely  alone,  wonder  that  it  is  evening,  and  be 
as  happy  as  a  goddess,  and  one  needs  not  in  this 
world  more  than  to  be  happy  and  contented.  The 
newest  from  thy  old  acquaintances  is  that  Papa  La 
Roche  is  no  longer  in  Speyer,  but  has  bought  himself 
a  house  in  Offenbach,  and  proposes  there  to  end  his 
days.  The  rest  of  thy  friends  are  all  still  what  they 
were  ;  not  one  has  made  such  giant  strides  as  thou. 
But  "  we  were  always  the  lackeys,"  the  late  Max 
Mohrs  once  remarked.  When  thou  comest  here  all 
these  people  must  be  invited  and  handsomely  enter- 
tained—game, roasts,  poultry,  like  the  sands  of  the 
sea,  it  shall  truly  be  splendid  !  Dear  son,  an  humble 
doubt  just  occurs  to  me  as  to  whether  this  letter  may 
come  into  thy  hands.  I  do  not  know  where  thou  art 
living  in  Rome,  thou  art  half  in  conito  (as  thou  writ- 


146  Goethes  Mother. 

est).  We  will  hope  for  the  best,  but  before  thou 
comest  let  something  be  heard  from  thee,  otherwise 
I  should  be  thinking  every  post-chaise  brought  me 
my  sole  beloved  one,  and  hope  disappointed  is  very 
disagreeable  to  me.  Farewell,  dear  one,  and  think 
often  of  thy  faithful  mother, 

ELISABETHA  GOETHE. 


70.  Fran  Rath  to  FriedricJi  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  i /th  December,  1786. 
DEAR  SON  :  Herewith  I  send  you  a  Christmas 
present  that  you  may  continually  bear  me  in  mind. 
Yes,  dear  son,  do  this,  think  of  one  who  ever  with 
pleasure  recalls  the  time  when  we  lived  together  so 
many  a  joyous  day.  It  is  only  a  pity  that  everything 
passes  so  quickly  by  and  that  the  joys  of  life  are  ever 
on  the  wing  ;  for  this  reason  one  must  never  frighten 
them  away  by  whims,  but  snatch  them  quickly,  other- 
wise they  are  off  and  hasten  and  glide  away  into  Eia 
Poppeia  !*  Do  you  not  yet  know  where  my  son  is  ? 
That  is  a  wandering  knight.  Well,  he  will  some  day 
or  other  appear  and  give  account  of  his  heroic  deeds. 
Who  knows  how  many  giants  and  dragons  he  has 
fought,  and  how  many  imprisoned  princesses  he  has 
set  free  !  We  will  rejoice  in  anticipation  of  the  rela- 
tion of  his  adventures,  and  await  with  patience  the 
unravelling  of  the  plot.f  There  is  nothing  at  all 

*  Literally,  bye,  baby,  bye.  Eia  Poppeia  is  the  refrain  to  the  lul- 
labies which  put  German  babies  to  sleep.  The  meaning  of  the 
passage  may  possibly  be  something  like  this  :  "  Hasten  and  glide 
away  into  (eternal)  slumber." 

f  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Frau  Rath  says  nothing  about  her 


Frau  Rath  to  Fran  von  Stein.        147 

new  here  ;  our  free  imperial  citizens  eat,  drink,  ban- 
quet, make  music,  dance,  and  divert  themselves  in  all 
manner  of  ways,  and  as  they  enjoy  themselves  may 
God  bless  it  to  them.  Farewell,  dear  son,  and 
think  sometimes  also  in  the  year  1787  of 
Your  true  friend, 

E.  G. 

71.  Frau  Rath  to  Frau  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  9th  January  1787. 
HIGH  AND  NOBLE  LADY,  EXCELLENT  FRIEND  : 
How  many  thanks  I  owe  you  for  the  communication 
of  the  so  very  interesting  letters.  I  rejoice  that  my 
son's  longing  to  see  Rome  has  been  fulfilled.  It  was 
from  his  youth  up  his  daily  thought,  his  nightly 
dream.  The  happiness  which  he  must  feel  and  enjoy 
in  seeing  the  masterpieces  of  the  old  world  I  can 
fancy  to  the  life,  and  I  rejoice  in  his  joy.  His  Serene 
Highness,  the  Duke,  gave  me  a  most  agreeable  sur- 
prise. My  joy  was  great  to  see  our  dear  prince  well 
and  happy.  Herr  von  Knebel  and  Count  von 
Lincker  were  his  companions  ;  your  brother  was  not 
with  them.  The  letter  so  dear  to  me  I  received  by  a 
huntsman  from  Meiningen,  who  was  sent  through  here 
to  Darmstadt.  I  commend  myself  and  my  son  most 
heartily  to  your  and  your  husband's  continued  love 
and  friendship,  and  remain  with  the  greatest  respect, 
high  and  noble  lady, 

Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 

E.  GOETHE. 

letter  from  Rome.     She  does  not  wish  to  violate  her  son's  "  in- 
conito." 


148  Goethes  Mother. 

72.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  gth  March,  1787. 

DEAR  SON  :  Great  and  manifold  thanks  for  the 
letters  sent.  It  was  to  me  a  comfort,  a  cordial,  and  a 
joy  to  hear  from  the  great  distance  such  good  news 
from  my  son.  Beg  your  mother  to  please  send  me 
everything  that  reaches  her  and  I  shall  be  right 
heartily  thankful  therefor.  Have  no  anxiety  about 
their  being  copied  ;  no  one  gets  a  sight  of  them.  You 
are,  then,  not  of  the  opinion  that  my  son  will  remain 
a  still  longer  time  away.  I,  for  my  part,  gladly 
grant  him  to  enjoy  to  the  last  drop  the  joy  and  hap- 
piness in  which  he  is  now  living,  and  under  so  fortu- 
nate a  constellation  will  he  probably  never  see  Italy 
again.  I  vote,  therefore,  for  a  longer  stay  there,  pro- 
vided it  occurs  with  the  Duke's  consent.  Greet  my 
dear  son  Wieland,  and  the  Herders,  but  especially 
your  whole  household,  from  her  who  is  unchangeably 
Your  true  friend, 

E.  G. 

73.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  22d  Febr.,  1788. 

DEAR  SON  :  My  best  thanks  for  the  Pandora  and 
the  Court  Calendar.  I  have  a  letter  of  the  3d  of  this 
month  from  Rome,  in  which  my  son  writes  that 
about  Easter  he  would  let  me  know  whether  I  shall 
get  a  sight  of  him  this  year  or  not.  I  think  from  this 
that  it  is  still  extremely  uncertain  whether  he  returns 
by  Frankfort.  That  he  is  become  cold  toward  his 
friends  I  do  not  believe,  but  put  yourself  in  his 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  149 

place,  set  down  in  an  entirely  new  world,  a  world  to 
which  from  his  childhood  he  has  clung  with  his 
whole  heart  and  soul,  and  the  enjoyment  which  he 
now  has  of  it.  A  hungry  man  who  has  long  fasted 
will  at  a  well-spread  table  think  neither  of  father  nor 
mother,  friend  nor  sweetheart,  until  his  hunger  be 
stilled,  and  no  one  could  blame  him  for  it.  I  must 
thank  you  once  more  for  the  Pandora  ;  it  is  the  queen 
of  all  other  calendars,  almanacs,  wreaths,  and  so 
on  ;  there  are  capital  things  in  it.  Farewell,  and  keep 
in  good  remembrance 

Your  friend,  E.  G. 

74.  Frau  Rath  to  Karl   Wilhelm  Ferdinand  Unzel- 
mann. 

The  1 6th  March,  1788. 

Oh  !  delude  me  not  again  !t  Oh  !  breathe  not  again 
upon  the  dead  spark  !  Leave  me  rather  to  my  grief, 
which  has  reached  such  a  height  that  it  would  be 
difficult  to  exceed  it.  In  a  storm  the  thunder 
announces  at  least  the  approach  of  the  lightning, 
but  here  flash  and  peal  were  so  in  one  that  I  shall 
always  wonder  that  my  senses  did  not  on  the  instant 
all  leave  me.  I  truly  know  not  if,  after  so  many 
previous  deceptions,  disappointed  expectations,  my 
heart  to  hope  which  has  so  often,  so  infinitely  often, 
deluded  me,  if  I  ever  again  shall  open  it  to  this  de- 
ceiver ;  or  if  it  is  not  better  entirely  to  repulse  it,  to 
let  no  more  of  its  rays  enter  the  soul,  and  to  begin 
again  my  former  plant-life,  I  say  once  more  I  know 
not.  The  pain  I  now  suffer  is  unutterable.  There 
meet  me  at  every  corner  some  of  these  confounded 


150  Goethes  Mother. 

people  and  renew  every  recollection,  open  every 
wound  by  their  basilisk  glances,  seek  and  spy  if  sad- 
ness is  to  be  perceived  in  my  eyes,  in  order  perhaps 
to  rejoice  over  it,  and  when  I  think  of  the  fair  in 
which  I  have  taken  such  a  childish  pleasure,  how  the 
boasting  St.  will  regard  me  with  malicious  joy — and  I 
can  on  that  point  so  little  dissemble  ;  I  know  not 
what  I  shall  do  or  leave  undone.  But  one  thing  I 
know,  this  generation  of  vipers  shall  be  banished  from 
my  house,  no  drop  of  tyrants'  blood*  shall  pass  their 
lips,  no  hand  will  I  lift  in  their  honor  or  for  their  en- 
tertainment ;  in  short,  every  vexation  I  can  put  upon 
them  I  will  do  with  joy.  I  will  argue,  Burger's  Frau 
Schnips  shall  be  a  child  to  me,  for  air  I  must  have  or 
I  shall  stifle.  Do  not  venture  again  to  call  F.  my 
friend  ;  it  is  degrading  to  me.  She  was  never  so  and 
never  will  be  ;  I  am  not  so  lavish  of  my  friendship  ; 
very  different  persons  from  sucJi  an  one  have  courted 
it  and  been  graciously  sent  away.  The  secret  so 
kindly  communicated  to  me  I  shall  keep  as  a  pre- 
cious treasure  with  which  I  have  been  intrusted  ;  no 
one,  not  even  Toffel,  shall  know  it.  I  shall  regard 
it  not  so  much  as  a  hope  (for  I  am  done  with  that), 
but  as  a  sort  of  promise.  I  am  apprehensive  in  re- 
gard to  your  coming  here,  you  can  easily  conceive 
why  !  !  !  To-morrow  I  send  out  dunning  letters  to 
all  my  tardy  debtors  and  then  will  remember  you. 
Your  ELISABETH. 

P.S.  To  the  Frau  Gevatterinf  my  friendly  greeting. 

*  Allusion  to  the  old  wine  Frau  Aja  set  before  the  Stolbergs 
with  the  remark,  "  Here  is  the  true  tyrants'  blood."  See  Intro- 
duction, f  His  wife. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  151 

Karl  Wilhelm  Ferdinand  Unzelmann,  born  1753, 
died  1832.  A  celebrated  actor,  who  was  for  four 
years  (1784  to  1788)  a  member  of  the  theatrical  com- 
pany at  Frankfort.  During  his  residence  at  Frank- 
fort he  became  very  intimate  with  the  Frau  Rath, 
who,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  letters  which  follow,  prided 
herself  that  she  had  by  her  friendly  interest  con- 
tributed much  to  his  success  there.  Unzelmann  was 
at  this  time  at  the  neighboring  city  of  Mainz,  and 
during  his  absence  it  had  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  Frau  Rath  that  he  had  got  involved  in  debt  in 
Frankfort,  and  was  in  danger  of  being  pursued  by  his 
creditors.  This  is  the  cause  of  the  Frau  Rath's 
anxiety  and  distress,  which  in  the  above  letter  occa- 
sionally obscures  her  syntax.*  In  regard  to  the 
Frau  Rath's  letter  to  Unzelmann,  Vichoff  remarks 
that  they  "  bear  in  places  the  stamp  of  an  enthusias- 
tic affection,  and  show  whence  the  poet  of  the  "  Sor- 
rows of  Werther"  inherited  the  vivacity  and  fire  of 
his  emotion." 

75.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

The  2 ist  March,  1788. 

Must  then  well-nigh  always  the  few  happy  mo- 
ments I  enjoy  in  your  society  be  so  terribly  embit- 
tered to  me.  Think  how  much  pain  it  gives  me 
that  my  best  intentions  are  continually  frustrated— 
my  ill-fortune  lacks  now  but  the  final  blow,  that  you 
should  be  disgraced  by  your  creditors  here.  I  beg 
you,  by  all  that  you  love  and  hold  dear,  do  not  come 
until  the  affairs  are  arranged  in  one  way  or  another  ; 

*  See  DUntzer,  "  Frauenbilder,"  etc.,  page  511. 


152  Goethe s  Mother. 

it  would  be  my  death.  Take  counsel  of  the  excel- 
lent Count  Spaur.  Place  your  and  the  Frau  Gevat- 
terin's  wardrobe  in  safe  keeping  under  the  Count's 
care  ;  you  play  no  more  here,  so  that  people  will  not 
know  or  see  the  deficiency — in  Berlin  still  less — for 
you  told  me  yourself  that  you  had  no  need  to  trouble 
yourself  about  your  wardrobe  there,  of  what  use  is  it 
then  to  take  all  these  things  with  you  ?  They  shall  not 
be  lost  to  you,  and  at  this  critical  moment  it  would 
at  least  be  a  help  ;  your  two  friends,  the  Count  and  I. 
gain  time  to  consider,  for  at  the  present  moment  it 
is  to  me  impossible.  Reflect  upon  it  with  the  Frau 
Gevatterin.  My  God  !  your  honor  is  more  con- 
cerned to  go  away  as  an  honorable  man  than  to  have 
one  pair  more  or  less  of  bedizened  robes  ;  only  do 
not  let  the  Jews  cheat  you,  and  take  counsel  in  what- 
ever you  undertake  with  your  generous  friend.  I 
am  convinced  he  will  give  you  the  best  advice.  You 
know  well  that  he  who  gains  time  gains  everything. 
Write  to  me  if  it  will  do,  and  how.  But  do  not  come 
here  (I  say  it  once  more),  under  penalty  of  my  dis- 
pleasure, until  I  can  be  easy.  Should  the  Count  wish 
to  correspond  with  me  about  this  affair  it  would  be 
an  honor  to  me,  for  four  eyes  see  more  than  two.  My 
friendship  toward  you  will  never  waver.  One  must 
only  devise  ways  and  means  that  all  parties  may  be 
satisfied,  and  that  one  of  them  be  not  too  much 
oppressed.  Weigh  everything  prudently  and  let  me 
soon  hear  better  news — this  will  exceedingly  rejoice 
and  strengthen 

Your  truly  distressed  friend, 

ELISABETH. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann. 


53 


P.S.  Greet  the  Frau  Gevatterin  in  my  name,  and 
I  beg  her  to  make  with  us  every  exertion,  that  your 
enemies  may  not  triumph. 

Koch  is  not  here  yet.  There  is  great  uneasiness. 
No  soul  knows  what  is  to  be  played  on  Tuesday. 

76.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

Read  this  entirely  alone  by  yourself. 

In  the  place  where  you  did  not  go  once  more,  out 
of  groundless  fear,  although  you  had  promised  it, 
they  are  very  angry  with  you.  Satisfaction  will  be 
demanded  from  you.  In  what  it  will  consist  I  do  not 
know.  If  you  give  it,  all  is  forgiven,  and  you  come 
back  at  the  time  (which  you  know)  with  honor.  But 
if  you  do  the  contrary,  you  will  be  published  in  the 
newspapers,  publicly  disgraced,  and  there  will  be  no 
return  to  be  thought  of.*  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  you 
will  be  mindful  of  your  best  interests  and  not  bring 
yourself  and  your  friends  to  shame  and  misfortune. 
A  watchful  eye  is  kept  upon  the  correspondence  of 
your  friends  ;  the  letters  will  therefore  be  posted  un- 
der other  addresses  until  all  is  arranged  and  in  order. 
When  you,  therefore,  wish  to  write  to  the  two  friends 
you  have  in  this  place,  address  the  letters  to  our  faith- 
ful Toffel,  but  designate  the  street  where  he  lives,  for 
he  has  many  of  kin  to  him  by  name.  For  the  rest, 
what  your  friends  here  at  this  time  have  suffered,  may 
fate  never  let  you  experience  in  a  similar  case  !  We 
entreat  you  to  make  all  right  again  by  doing  what  is 
demanded  of  you,  in  the  place  you  know  of,  other- 

*  Refers  to  some  difficulty  Unzelmann  had  got  into  with  von 
Dahlberg,  the  intendant  of  the  theatre  at  Mannheim. 


154  Goethes  Mother. 

wise  we  are  forever  lost  to  you,  and  you  to  us. 
Everything  else  another  time.  It  is  no  longer  the 
moment  to  talk  and  write.  In  the  place  where  you 
now  are  you  must  not  say  a  word,  neither  of  this  let- 
ter nor  of  all  possible  letters  that  may  come,  nor  of 
their  contents.  Farewell, 
The  22d  April,  1788. 

P.S.  Let  the  address  to  Toffel  be  done  Ly  your 
Frederica,  that  they  may  not  see  your  handwrit- 
ing. Send  me  back  the  enclosed  as  soon  as  you 
have  read  it. 

This  correspondence  does  not  begin  remarkably. 
God  grant  that  it  may  be  better  in  the  sequel  ! 

77.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

The  29th  April,  1788. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  Your  letter  from  Leipzic  and  the 
one  from  Berlin  I  have  read  with  pleasure,  for  from 
both  is  clearly  to  be  seen  that  you  have  not  yet  for- 
gotten our  good  city  and  your  friends  ;  it  would,  in- 
deed, be  unjust  in  you,  for  may  fortune  smile  on  you 
in  other  zones  ever  so  kindly,  yet  you  will  never  re- 
gret to  have  lived  and  been  with  us  four  years.  The 
day  you  left  I  sent  to  your  lodgings  the  stout  Iris 
with  a  splendid  warm  cake,  some  tyrants'  blood,  and 
a  very  well-expressed  farewell  letter,  but  a  compas- 
sionate Oread  called  out  of  the  wooden  partition  (for 
there  were  no  rocks),  "  He  has  forever  fled  from 
thee  !"  But  what  did  Ariadne  do  ?  That  you  shall 
presently  hear.  She  did  not  behave  so  very  wildly  and 
angrily  ;  the  Eumenides,  the  Furies  were  not  dis- 
turbed, and  hell  heard  no  word  of  the  whole  story. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  155 

Had  poor  Ariadne  of  Naxos  lived  in  our  enlightened 
age,  \vhere  all  joy  and  sorrow,  all  feelings  of  grief  and 
pleasure,  are  forced  into  systems,  where  the  passions, 
if  they  would  appear  in  honest  company,  must  have 
stiff  stays  on,  where  laughing  and  weeping  is  allowed 
only  up  to  a  certain  degree,  she  would  surely  have 
managed  her  affairs  differently.  True,  it  is  somewhat 
troublesome  always  to  wear  a  mask  and  always  to 
appear  different  from  what  one  is,  but,  praise  God, 
this  is  not  necessary  with  you.  I  can  say  to  you 
that  your  going  away  has  caused  me  much  sorrow, 
that  my  hobby*  is  utterly  ruined,  that  at  table  the 
time  seems  intolerably  long — in  one  word,  that  my 
romance  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  well,  and  will 
hardly  be  pulled  out  again.  It  is  also  not  to  be  con- 
cealed from  you  that  I  am  often  bitterly  vexed  with 
you  that  your  ambition,  your  mistaken  fancies,  have 
drive  you  away  from  here,  since  one  now  sees  just 

the  contrary  of   it   all Our  dear  good 

friend  Heinrich,  I  think,  represented  the  affair  of 
our  correspondence  as  somewhat  more  hazardous 
than  it  was.  You  will  have  received  my  first  through 
Herr  Lantz,  but  let  me  know  where  you  live,  so  that 
letters  need  not  be  sent  through  a  third  person. 
How  do  matters  stand  in  Mainz  ?  Will  those  persons 
soon  be  conciliated  ?  Our  friend  there  preserves  a 
deep  silence.  Farewell,  and  continue  to  think  of  the 
friends  you  have  left  behind,  and  remember  her  who, 
even  into  Charon's  boat,  is 

Your  friend,  ELIZABETH. 

P.S.    My  best  compliments  to  the  Frau  Gevatterin. 
*  The  theatre. 


156  Goethes  Mother. 

Unzelmann  was  now  in  Berlin.  From  the  cake 
and  wine  sent  to  his  lodgings,  it  would  appear  that 
he  had  been  again  in  Frankfort,  in  spite  of  the  Frau 
Rath's  warnings.  But  what  with  debts  and  jealousy 
of  the  other  actors,  his  situation  had  become  so  un- 
comfortable that  the  Frau  Rath  lent  him  money  (as 
afterward  appears)  to  go  to  Berlin  until  his  affairs 
could  be  arranged  ;  hardly,  however,  had  he  got 
there  before  he  signed  a  contract  with  the  Berlin 
Theatre  for  ten  years. 

78.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

The  9th  May,.  1788. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  So  it  is  then  decided  that  you, 
through  your  false  and  thoroughly  misplaced  pride 
and  ambition,  will  deprive  yourself  of  the  love  of  your 
tried  friends,  and  precipitate  yourself  into  misfor- 
tune. Has  your  fervid,  passionate,  hot-brained 
temperament  not  yet  caused  you  trouble  enough? 
Will  you  never  follow  the  counsel  of  true  and  trusted 
friends,  friends  to  whom  you  owe  many,  many 
thanks  ?  Will  you  in  the  Mainz  affair,  also,  again 
follow  your  head,  which  has  already  so  often  done 
you  ill  service  ?  In  God's  name  do  as  you  will.  But 
if  you  bring  the  honored  Count  into  the  affair,  if  you 
so  abominably  misuse  his  generous  confidence,  then 
is  this  the  last  letter  that  you  in  your  life  ever  get 
to  see  from  me,  for  a  man  who  not  only  so  soon  for 
gets  the  greatest  benefits,  but  even  breaks  his  word 
to  his  friend,  he  cannot  be  my  friend.  You  consider 
that  it  would  be  injurious  to  your  honor  if  you  were 
to  ask  pardon  of  Dahlberg.  To  ask  pardon  does  not 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  157 

the  slightest  injury  to  honor,  for  to  err  is  so  very  hu- 
man, and  what  reasonable  man  will  then  be  ashamed 
to  say,  "  I  have  erred"  ?  Does  not  this,  indeed,  occur 
daily  ?  Is  this  anything,  then  ?  On  this  point  your 
honor  is  truly  very  ticklish,  but  your  friends  who 
have  helped  you  out  of  a  mortal  fright,  who  were  the 
cause  that  you  could  go  away  as  an  honorable  man 
(for  then,  then  was  your  honor  at  stake),  to  injure 
these  friends,  that  is  consistent  with  your  honor. 
Truly  with  a  man  who  has  such  singular  principles  it 
is  not  easy  to  argue.  But  of  how  little  value  my 
friendship  is  to  you  I  also  see  now  so  clearly  that  my 
eyes  smart  at  the  sight.  God  grant  that  you  may 
fare  well  in  Berlin.  May  He  bestow  on  you  friends 
such  as  those  you  have  here  left  behind  !  But  for  this 
a  four  years'  trial  is  requisite  also,  and  performances 
such  as  those  in  which  I  saw  you  here  more  than 
once.  We  will  wait :  it  will  be  seen  in  the  end.  Unzel- 
mann  !  once  more  I  beg  you  to  consider  the  matter 
maturely  before  you  venture  on  the  dangerous  step. 
For  if  you  come  forward  openly,  contend  against 
Dahlberg,  you  are,  whether  you  win  or  lose,  forever 
lost  to  us,  and  a  prudent  general  is  ahvays  glad,  after 
all,  to  keep  a  retreat  open.  You  will  now  have  re- 
ceived two  letters  from  me  which  were  addressed  to 
Herr  Inspector  Lantz,  one  also  from  the  Count  to 
me  ;  send  it,  please,  back  to  me.  As  I  have  not  yet 
received  a  line  of  reply  to  my  two  letters,  this  would 
not  have  been  sent  for.  In  certain  things  I  too  am 
proud,  but  I  did  it  for  the  Count's  sake,  from  whom 
I  have  received  a  truly  heart-moving  letter.  On  the 
1 2th  May  it  will  be  three  years  since  you  left  us  and 
went  to  Cassel,  but  then,  hope  was  the  great  watch- 


158  Goethe's  Mother. 

word,  and  now  !  !  !  others  enjoy  the  fruits  which  we 
have  so  carefully  fostered  and  cared  for,  and  that 
gives  too  much  pain  !  I  hope  and  believe  that  you 
will  not  have  lost  in  your  short  absence  all  feelings 
of  friendship  ;  such  an  ungrateful  spirit  I  do  not  at- 
tribute to  you.  Put  yourself,  then,  for  a  moment  in 
the  place  of  your  friends — a  friend  whom  one  has 
loved  and  cherished,  for  whom  one  has  done  every- 
thing, everything  for  the  present  and  the  future,  in 
order  to  make  his  days  happy  and  joyous — and  this 
friend,  for  a  whim,  ruins  plans,  hopes,  and  happiness, 
himself  bars  the  way  ever  to  see  us  again.  He  who 
over  certain  things  does  not  lose  his  reason,  he  has 
none  to  lose.*  But  that  you  may  not  think  I  have 
written  all  this  out  of  a  woman's  caprice,  read  the 
enclosed  letter  (which  I  beg  to  have  back),  and  judge 
for  yourself.  I  had  got  so  far  when  your  letter  of 
the  2d  May  came.  I  thank  you  for  it,  for  at  least  it 
gave  me  some  comfort  ;  but  so  long  as  the  affair  with 
Mainz  is  not  settled,  I  would  not  give  a  nutshell  for 
all  hopes.  Koch  has  been  to  see  me  and  told  me 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  how  amazed  he  had  been  by 
your  sudden  departure.  You  had  been  together  at 
Tabor's,  had  supped  together  ;  he  had  accompanied 
you  home,  had  begged  you  when  you  came  back 
from  Mainz  to  sign  a  contract  for  next  Easter — every- 
thing would  have  been  so  nicely  arranged.  Death 
could  not  have  more  startled  him  than  your  sudden 
departure,  and,  he  continued,  "  even  if  I  did  not  so 
value  him  and  his  wife,  as  I  actually  do,  yet  we  need 


*  Words  of  the  Countess  Orsina  in  Lessing's  Emilia  Galotti, 
Act  IV.,  scene  VII. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  159 

them.  We  should  have  got  along  and  have  engaged 
no  new  people,  at  least  for  a  long  time,"  and  so  on. 
"  God  forgive  it  the  calumniators,  who  have  put  things 
in  his  head  about  me  of  which  not  a  syllable  is  true. 
I  play  no  doubt  some  of  his  parts,  but  his  cast  of 
parts  is  so  varied,  he  will  everywhere  come  upon  peo- 
ple with  whom  the  same  is  the  case."  .... 

Now  I  have  talked  enough  of  you.  One  more  word 
of  myself.  My  rage  for  the  play  is  about  at  an  end  ; 
neither  from  my  box,  once  so  dear  to  me,  in  the  play- 
house, nor  smong  the  players,  nor  among  the  mutes, 
do  I  see  what  I  once  saw,  and  when  it  occurs  to  me 
that  it  will  remain  so  always  and  forever,  and  that 
there  is  little  probability  of  the  contrary,  it  seizes  me 
in  the  breast,  so  that  I  think  my  breath  is  lost,  and 
then  ever  anew  comes  to  mind  the  letter.  (Oh  !  Elisa- 
beth what  have  I  done?)*  Yes,  indeed,  you  might 
well  have  had  some  little  regard  for  your  friend  and 
for  the  future.  My  only  consolation  is  that  you  are 
doing  well  there,  and  that  you  after  all  will  never 
wholly  forget  her,  who  has  given  you  so  many  proofs 
that  she  was,  and  is,  and  remains 

Your  friend, 

ELISABETH. 

79.  Frau  RatJi  to  Unzelmann. 

Written  on  the  second  Whitsuntide  holiday,  ill  in 
body  and  soul,  sent  off  the  I3th  May,  1788. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  I  am  not  to  make  myself  uneasy, 
not  to  fret ;  I  must  rely  on  the  future  !  I  !  who 

*  Probably  the  letter  in  which  Unzelmann  announced  that  he 
had  signed  a  contract  at  Berlin  for  ten  years. 


160  Goethe  s  Mother. 

clearly  and  plainly  see  that  everything  so  tends  as  to 
remove  you  from  us  forever.  As  often  as  a  newspaper 
comes  in  my  sight  my  limbs  tremble  lest  I  find  your 
name  mentioned  in  it  in  some  dishonoring  way  ;  and 
should  there  be  but  the  slightest  menace,  the  least 
defiance  contained  in  the  letter  of  your  commission, 
the  misfortune  is  certain,  and  you  are  forever  lost  to 
us.  A  confinement  to  your  house  would  have  been 
by  far,  far  less  disgraceful  for  you  ;  how  few  people 
would  have  heard  of  it  !  But  newspapers,  which  fly 
about  the  whole  world,  which  are  read  by  people  great 
and  small,  in  places  where  every  child  knows  you — such 
a  thing  goes  beyond  everything  !  And  then  the  talk 
in  all  societies,  and  your  friend  in  the  midst  of  it,  what 
shall  she  do,  or  what  part  shall  she  play  ?  Have  I 
not  already  suffered  enough  on  your  account — for- 
given,borne,  endured? — and  now,  beside,  this  horrible 
of  all  horribles  !  O  Fate  !  how  have  I  deserved  this  ? 
My  intentions  were  so  good,  so  upright.  I  wanted  to 
contribute  to  a  man's  success,  and  did  precisely  the 
contrary.  Had  I  left  him  what  he  was,  he  would  be 
still  with  us — of  that  I  am  as  firmly  convinced  as  of 
my  own  existence.  Forgive,  dear  friend,  that  my  let- 
ters are  of  no  better  and  pleasanter  purport  ;  toward 
you  I  cannot  and  would  not  dissemble.  You  must 
allow  me  to  disburden  my  heart  ;  this  proof  of 
friendship  I  indeed  deserve,  do  I  not  ?  For  three 
days  I  was  in  bed  ;  to-day  I  arose  with  the  hope  of 
receiving  a  letter  from  you,  but  none  came.  It  is 
the  second  holiday  ;  everybody  is  walking  and  driv- 
ing. I  sit  alone  in  my  sitting-room,  and  know  not 
how  better  to  employ  my  time  than  in  writing  to 
you.  Were  you  here,  I  know  well  that  a  little  bot- 


Frau  Rath  to    Unzclmann.  161 

tie  of  tyrants'  blood  would  be  enjoyed.  But  those 
times  are  past.  This  noted  sitting-room  has  indeed 
driven  many  a  shade  from  your  brow  ;  it  was  a  sort 
of  asylum  when  the  winds  roared,  and  thunder  rolled 
in  the  air  ;  it  was  indeed  a  safe  haven  when  the  little 
boat  was  driven  round  and  round  by  the  waves.  Do 
you  still  remember  the  snuff-box  I  sent  you  to 
Cassel,  three  years  ago,  on  which  a  man  in  the  midst 
of  a  shipwreck  was  climbing  up  a  rock,  and  the 
words  which  I  wrote  with  it  ?  Now,  you  have  again 
gone  to  sea.  God  grant  you  ever  to  find  a  safe 
port,  where  you  can  cast  anchor. 

Writing  is  indeed  a  capital  thing,  especially  to  a 
friend,  only  it  is  a  misfortune  that  such  a  letter  takes 
seven  days  to  reach  its  destination.  So  far  have  you 
never  yet  strayed  from  me  as  now,  and  your  return 
could  at  least  be  reckoned  by  marking  the  days. 
Dear  friend,  one  thing,  only,  I  would  like  to  know  ; 
did  you,  then,  not  think  of  me  at  all  when  you 
signed  the  contract  there  ?  also,  not  at  all  of  the  con- 
sequences and  of  the  effect  such  a  thing  must  neces- 
sarily have  upon  me  ?  Yet,  by  heaven,  you  knew  it 
all  !  That  has  always  been  to  me  the  most  incom- 
prehensible part  of  the  whole  affair,  and  still  is  so, 
for  I  confess  to  you  such  a  step  would  not  have  oc- 
curred to  me  in  a  dream.  Stock  and  his  wife  send 
their  best  greetings.  Likewise  Elise  Bethmann, 
although  you  took  with  you  two  pairs  of  her  hus- 
band's stockings  ;  also  friend  Thurneissen.  By  no 
means  tell  friend  Heinrich  that  I  send  you  any  of  his 
letters,  otherwise  he  might  not  write  me  any  more. 
Greet  the  Frau  Gevatterin, 

From  your  friend,         ELISABETH. 


1 62  Goethe's  Mother. 

80.  Frau  RatJi  to  Unzelmann. 

TUESDAY,  the  2/th  May,  1788. 
DEAR  FRIEND  :  It  is  a  great  fault  of  mine  that  I 
think  more  on  the  past  than  on  the  present,  and 
that  I  cannot  yet  entirely  blot  from  my  memory  the 
ideas,  dreams,  and  fancies  which  I  had  taken  into  my 
head  about  you.  Out  of  this  troubled  spring  have 
still  flowed  my  last  two  letters.  But  I  hereby 
solemnly  promise  you  for  the  future  to  banish  all 
jeremiads  from  my  letters,  especially  since  your 
enemies,  instead  of  serving  you  ill,  have  served  you 
well,  and  have  driven  you  into  the  midst  of  good 
fortune.  Such  an  honor  would  you  and  the  Frau 
Gevatterin  have  not  have  met  with  here,  even  had 
you  played  like  angels  ;  the  Royal  Family  be 
thanked  !  The  Burgomeister  here  would  not  have 
done  it.  Altogether,  Berlin  seems  to  me  to  be  the 
place  where  you,  at  length,  will  be  happy.  I  beg 
you,  therefore,  by  all  that  you  love  and  value,  do 
not  again  thrust  this  good  fortune  from  you.  Fate 
is  not  always  so  well  disposed  that  when  one  door 
shuts  another  immediately  opens  ;  my  consolation 
then  will  ever  be,  that  I,  at  least,  laid  the  corner- 
stone upon  which  other  greater  and  more  skilful 
architects  may  now  build.  This  little  vanity  *  you 

*  We  infer  from  the  testimony  of  the  celebrated  actress,  Hen- 
rietta Hendel-Schutz,  that  it  was  not  all  vanity  on  the  Frau 
Rath's  part,  to  claim  some  share  in  Unzelmann's  success.  The 
actress  alluded  to  "declared  that  her  early  attaining  to  truth  to 
nature,  in  the  exercise  of  her  art,  she  owed,  in  great  part,  to  the 
sharp  and  incisive  judgment  of  this  excellent  woman,  and 
especially  to  her  constant  warnings  ngainst  trj'ing  to  do  too  much, 
as  well  as  against  every  kind  of  affectation." — (Vichoff,  Goethe's 
Leben). 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  163 

will  not  take  ill  in  me,  for  it  makes  me  happy. 
.  .  .  Dear  friend,  you  have  probably  forgotten 
that  I,  upon  solicitation,  and  even  on  friend  Hein- 
rich's  security,  have  employed  my  credit  to  raise  76 
Louis  d'or  for  your  journey  ;  this  must  be  paid  in 
July,  for  my  honor  and  pledged  word  are  above 
everything  to  me.  I  cannot  and  will  not,  therefore, 
enter  into  anything  further  of  this  kind.  About 
Frau  Bethmann's  stockings,  it  was  a  joke.  I  sent, 
immediately,  two  pairs  of  new  ones  in  return — from 
her  I  should  not  wish  any  present  just  now.  We 
have  the  play  here  four  times  a  week.  It  gets  on  as 
well  as  it  can.  To  me  it  is  now  all  the  same 
whether  they  play  Hansivurst  im  ScJilafrock  (Jack- 
Pudding  in  his  Dressing-  Gown)  or  Don  Carlos  ;  but  I 
must,  also,  not  be  unreasonable  ;  when  one  has  rid- 
den a  hobby  for  twelve  years,  something  else  may,  one 
day,  take  its  place — in  the  world  nothing,  indeed, 
stays  forever  on  the  same  spot.  We  are  to  have  the 
happiness  of  seeing  your  good  king.  I  must  surely 
look  at  him  ;  it  is  indeed  worth  a  drive  to  Hanau  ! 
Greet  the  Frau  Gevatterin,  and  tell  her  she  is  a 
quick  witch  in  supplanting  the  poor  theatre-ladies. 
But  they  can  console  themselves  with  this,  that  this 
ill-luck  has  not  befallen  them  alone,  but  they  have 
company  in  certain  persons  who  have  experienced 
the  same,  and  had,  also,  to  resign  themselves  to  it. 
Farewell.  May  you  be  happy  and  fortunate  !  But 
do  not  in  the  splendid  royal  residence  utterly  forget 
poor  Frankfort,  but  think  sometimes  of  your  friends, 
especially  of  her  who  calls  herself 

ELISABETH. 


164  Gocthcs  Mother. 

Si.   Frau  RatJi  to  Unzclmann. 

The  24th  June,  1788. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  111  I  am  not,  just  now,  in  the  real 
sense  of  the  word,  but  sad — out  of  humor — hopeless — 
cast  down  ;  this  is,  for  the  present,  my  lot,  and  the 
cause  of  my  not  writing.  If  Orsina  *  is  right,  that 
the  unhappy  like  to  cling  to  each  other,  then  the 
contrary  is  equally  true,  that  the  happy,  even  with 
the  best  heart  and  will,  cannot  sympathize  with  the 
feelings  of  the  unhappy.  A  poor  man  will  never  feel 
more  strongly  the  burden  of  poverty,  will  never  be 
more  discontented  with  his  lot,  than  in  the  society 
of  the  rich  man  ;  there,  there  his  want,  depresses 
him,  there  doubly  humbles  him  ;  and  every  word,  be 
it  ever  so  innocent,  ever  so  unimportant,  will  appear 
to  him  as  scorn,  and  as  satire  upon  his  poverty  ; 
every  smile  will  seem  to  him  a  mockery  of  his  mis- 
ery, for  he  who  is  unhappy  is  never  just — sees 
everything  through  a  colored  glass — judges  every- 
thing ill.  My  own  experience,  my  present  feelings 
give  me  the  guaranty  that  the  foregoing  illustration 
is  exceedingly  just  and  appropriate  ;  for,  dear  friend, 
you  may  well  believe  that  some  of  your  letters  have 
so  depressed  and  saddened  me  that  I  had  difficulty 
to  rise  again.  .  .  .  From  this  you  can  see  how 
ill-tuned  are  the  chords  of  my  nature,  and  that  I,  for 
this  reason,  did  not  write,  in  order  not  to  cloud  your 
good  humor — not  to  disturb  your  happiness.  In 
the  Mainz  theatre  (I  can  no  longer  say  in  ours  here) 
there  is,  at  Easter,  to  be  a  truly  great  change.  It  is 


*  "  Die     ungliicklichen    ketten   sich   so    gern   an    einander." 
(Emilia  Galolti,  Act  IV.,  scene  VII.). 


Frau  Rath  to    Unzelmann.  165 

said  Hcrr  von  Dahlberg  has  undertaken  everything, 
and  Tabor  has  nothing  at  all  more  to  say  or  do  ;  his 
rule  in  Mainz  is  at  an  end.  But  how  it  will  now 
fare  with  us  I  know  not — do  not  trouble  myself 
about  it  either.  My  delight  in  the  play  is  over,  and 
all  is  past  !  Herr  Widemann  must  now  be  with  you, 
and  Herr  Frankenberg  will  very  soon  come  to  you  ; 
by  them  you  can  best  and  more  thoroughly  be  in- 
formed of  the  matter  ;  also,  what  new  in  operas  and 
plays  has  been  given  since  your  departure.  In  the 
old  times  to  write  such  a  dramatic  chronicle  would 
have  given  me  great  pleasure  ;  but  good  humor  is 
requisite  for  it — a  happy  heart — hope -which  rejoices 
body  and  soul — activity  of  spirit  which  gives  life 
to  the  dead  letters.  But  this  is  impossible  to 
the  dead  (which,  morally,  is  now  my  case).  The 
play-bills  I  have  all  duly  received.  Best  thanks  for 
your  kind  attention.  They  will  be  well  taken  care  of 
as  a  lasting  reminder  of  how  transient  is  everything 
in  \h\s  fickle  time,  for  if  any  one  had  prophesied  to 
me,  in  1785,  that  1  should  ever  receive  anything  of 
the  kind  from  you,  I  should  have  laid  his  proph- 
etic spirit  in  some  ugly  fashion.  May  you  be 
happy  and  fortunate  ;  this  is  my  most  fervent  and 
ardent  wish.  Think  sometimes  of  her  who  indeed 
has  forever  renounced  all  wishes  for  herself,  but  is 

nevertheless 

Your  friend,  ELISABETH. 

82.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

The  i8th  July,  1788. 

At  last  a  letter,  after  the  lapse  of  four  long  weeks, 
which  seemed  like  an  eternity.     I  was,  then,   not 


1 66  Goethes  Mother. 

quite  forgotten  ;  the  recollection  of  me  was  not  yet 
utterly  extinguished.  I  will,  therefore,  endeavor  to 
make  myself  as  easy  as  possible  ;  but  promise  it  I 
cannot,  that  would  moreover  be  a  bad  sign  ;  for  a 
friendship  which  can  so  readily  put  itself  at  ease  is  as 
good  as — past.  Do  not  ever  again  keep  me  waiting 
so  intolerably  long  for  news  from  you,  but  bear  in 
mind  that  it  is  the  single  thing  left  me,  and  that  all 
my  former  hopes,  expectations,  fancies,  and  so  on, 
must  restrict  themselves,  alas,  only  to  the  very  least 
and  smallest  things — to  the  dead  letters  of  the  alpha- 
bet— and  such  little  crumbs  you  will  surely  not 
deny  to  a  friend  so  impoverished  in  all  other  re- 
spects. In  one  of  your  letters  you  expressed  a 
desire  to  get  news  of  the  stage  here.  From  me 
they  would  be  very  incomplete,  for  I  often  get  up 
and  go  away  in  the  middle  of  the  piece.  -I  did  so 
last  week  in  the  Gliickliche  Jagd  (Successful  Hunt\ 
for  who  could  see  Grosse  play  your  part  and  not  get 
a  fever  from  vexation  ?  Truly  it  was  a  scandal  for 
the  organ,*  who  with  Mesies  sat  entirely  alone  in 
the  parterre,  that  the  Frau  Rath,  instead  of  regard- 
ing the  stage,  looked  through  her  glass  at  the  few 
Jews  in  the  third  rank,  and  then  in  the  middle  of  the 
piece,  after  a  couple  of  "  ahem,  ahems,"  got  up  and 
,  went  away.  .  .  .  The  honor  the  monarch  has 
shown  you  rejoices  me  so  much  that  I  could  spring 
as  high  as  the  ceiling.  You  know  that  I  am  no  poli- 
tician, and  the  Emperor  and  the  Turks,  the  Turks 
and  the  Emperor  interest  me  as  much  as  the  man  in 
the  moon.  But  now  I  read  the  newspaper — but 


*  Nickname  for  the  Director. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  167 

nothing  except  the  article  Berlin  ;  and  then  I  re- 
joice when  the  King  is  in  good  health,  when  the 
Princess  Elisabeth  is  getting  well  at  Pyrmont,  when 
the  Queen  lays  a  corner-stone,  and  so  on.  Day  after 
to-morrow  I  shall  take  the  play-bills  with  me  to 
Stock's  ;  they  will  all  rejoice  there,  man,  wife,  and 
children  (for  Ricke  *  and  Katy  always  ask  after  you), 
also  Demoiselle  Marianne — Herr  Graf — in  one  word, 
the  whole  pie.f  I  have,  also,  so  many  greetings 
for  you  from  all  your  friends,  who  are  always  teas- 
ing me  for  news  of  you,  in  particular  Friend  Thurn- 
eissen.  'When  I  then  have  no  letter  for  four  weeks, 
I  stand  there  like  a  child  who  cannot  get  beyond  D. 
For  the  future,  conduct  yourself  in  a  more  exem- 
plary manner And  do  not  forget 

Your  friend, 

ELISABETH. 

83.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

Sent  off  Friday,  the  ist  August. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  Herewith  I  send  you  the  fifth  vol- 
ume of  Goethe's  works.  Herr  Goschen  has  taken 
great  pains  with  the  handsome  binding — only  it  is  a 
pity  that  the  first  four  volumes  are  not,  also,  as  ele- 
gant. I  hope  you  will  have  some  little  joy  over  the 
snuff-box  made  new  again  ;  it  seemed  to  me,  at 
least,  very  pretty  ;  use  it  in  cheerful  and  joyous 
mind  and  spirit,  and  think  sometimes  of  its  sender 
and  originator. 

I  wonder  at  nothing  so  much  as  at  the  contin- 

*  Fredericke.  f  "Mil  einem  Wort  die  ganze  Pastete." 


1 68  Goethes  Mother. 

uance  of  my  good  health  ;  it  must  be  of  iron  and 
steel.  Last  Saturday  I  suspected,  at  the  least,  that 
a  fever  was  on  the  approach  ;  but,  thanks  to  my  good 
constitution,  it  transformed  itself  into  something  less 
dangerous.  And  the  cause  ?  you  ask.  Just  think, 
my  Hans  Zenger,  the  character  I  am  so  in  love  with 
Herr  Chike  plays  !  !  !  So  it  fares  with  me  every 
day  !  Ah  \  my  poor  hobby-horse  !  It  was  such  a 
good,  kindly,  harmless  little  creature,  and  now,  for 
want  of  nourishment,  is  becoming  as  lean  as  the 
Pope  in  the  Dance  of  Death  at  Basle.  Your  letter 
of  the  22d  July  has  again  strengthened  my  belief — 
animated  anew  my  hope — so  great  is  the  distance — 
so  little  probability  is  there  in  the  matter,  that  / 
ever  in  my  life  see  you  again,  that  the  only  thing  I 
still  hold  to  is  that  the  remembrance  of  your  friend 
will  not  be  entirely  extinguished  ;  and,  as  one  must 
from  time  to  time  freshen  a  picture  with  varnish, 
that  the  colors  may  not  entirely  fade  away,  thus 
must  our  correspondence  be  the  varnish  that  our 
friendship  may  not  fade  away,  or  quite  expire.  I 
comprehend  very  well  that  you  have  much  to  do,  and 
willingly  forego  long  letters,  but  a  couple  of  lines 
— just  a  little  scrawl — that  can,  that  will  you  surely 
not  deny  your  friend.  That  Die  Geschwistcr  have 
so  well  pleased  in  Berlin  rejoiced  me  very  much.  It 
is  a  little  piece,  but  just  for  that  reason  demands,  on 
the  part  of  the  players,  more  art  to  set  each  charac- 
ter in  the  proper  light,  and  to  represent  it  with 
warmth  and  truth,  than  in  a  great  show-piece  with 
drums  and  fifes.  But  people  such  as  these  who 
appear  on  the  play-bill  sent  me  elevate  the  piece  and 
do  honor  to  the  author.  During:  the  remarkable 


Fran  Rath  to   Unzclmann.  169 

heat  which  we  have  also  had  here,  I  have  wished 
our  Main  100  times  in  your  neighborhood.  The 
bath-houses  you  know  so  well  were  never  empty  from 
five  in  the  morning  until  nine  in  the  evening  ;  and 
in  the  Main  it  looked  like  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead.  But  that  will  yield  a  wine  !  !  If  you  come 
back  in  1798 — and  death  has  the  politeness  to  leave 
me  here  till  then — you  shall,  in  my  house,  drink  my 
health  in  this  Anno  Domini,  out  of  a  beautiful, 
gilded  glass — you  shall  also  sit  in  your  chair  with  the 
double  cushion.  Summa  summarum,  all  shall  go  as 
formerly,  and  if,  up  to  then,  my  voice  does  not  fail, 
I  will  cry  out  as  loud  (as  when  you  came  from  Cassel 
in  1785,  the  6th  September),  "Are  you  there?" 
Last  week  I  had  my  cellar  put  in  order  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  old  gentlemen  *  of  1706  to  1719.  There 
came  to  mind  all  sorts  of  thoughts  ;  you  will  easily 
be  able  to  guess  all  I  thought,  for  you  know  well 
enough  my  extravagant  power  of  imagination.  It  is 
now  high  time  that  I  leave  off,  for  the  enemies  of  my 
happiness  and  repose  are  approaching,  f  Farewell  ! 
Greet  the  Frau  Gevatterin,  and  send  again  soon  a 
scrawl  to 

Your  friend,  ELISABETH. 

84.    Frau  Rath  to  Unzclmann. 

The  1 2th  September,  1788. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  It  is  truly  singular  that  I,  who 
once  was  so  fond  of  writing,  who  never  missed  a 
post-day,  who  would  have  sooner  neglected  anything 

*  Wine-casks.  f  i.t.,  those  regretful  recollections. 


1 70  Goethe  s  Mother. 

than  that,  have  now  not  put  pen  to  paper  in  four 
weeks.  But,  dear  friend,  what  can  a  woman  to 
whom  everything  in  the  world  has  become  indiffer- 
ent, who  has  no  feeling  for  anything  further,  who  in 
all  her  hopes  has  been  most  terribly  disappointed, 
who  has  lost  faith  in  mankind — what  shall  she  write  ? 
Shall  I  annoy  others  with  my  grief?  Of  what  use  is 
it  ?  Shall  I  forever  build  castles  in  the  air  ?  trust 
anew  to  the  will-o'-the  wisp  hope,  in  order  anew  to 
be  deceived  ?  No,  my  beloved  friend  !  For  me  all 
is  past  ;  with  me  it  is  over  ;  that  it  is  well  with  you, 
that  beside  your  other  acknowledged  merits  you 
shine  in  comic  operas,  gives  me  joy,  for  I  have  not 
yet  fallen  so  low  that  the  good  fortune  of  my  friend 
should  not  gratify  me.  But  it  is  a  bitter-sweet  joy. 
Others  reap  who  have  not  sown,  and  she  who  sowed 
the  seed  suffers  hunger  ;  from  the  tree  that  I  planted 
others  now  eat  the  ripe  fruit.  But,  for  heaven's 
sake!  what  need  of  this?  Let  it  pass;  so  much 
has  had  an  end  ;  with  thee,*  too,  it  will  not  last 
forever. 

Blanchard  is  in  Berlin  !  three  years  ago  he  was  here  ! 
"  Muss  ich  denn  alles  mahnen  ?"f  (must  I  then  bring 
all  to  mind  ?)  says  Elisabeth  in  Carlos.  That  was  the 
happiest  time  in  my  whole  life  ;  but  it  has  flown 
away,  the  golden  time.  .  .  .  Now  farewell, 
dear  friend.  May  your  success  in  Berlin  be  veiy 
great,  brilliant,  and  of  firm  duration.  Delight  me 
from  time  to  time  with  good  news,  and  believe  that 


*  *.  e.,  With  herself. 

f  What  Elizabeth  says   is,  "  O,   muss  mich's  ewig  mahnen?" 
(Oh,  must  I  ever  be  reminded?)    Don  Carlos.     Act  I.,  scene  VI. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  171 

neither  distance  nor  time  will  blot  out  your  memory 
with 

Your  friend,  ELISABETH. 


85.  Frau  RatJi  to  Unzelmann. 

The  1 3th  (November,  1788) 
5  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

.  .  .  Last  night  I  dreamed  of  fat  lambs  and  great 
vats  of  wine.  The  stout  Iris,  as  a  great  dreamer, 
prophesies  great  luck  ;  for  the  moment  it  is  just  the 
contrary.  I  got,  last  night,  such  a  fearfully  swollen 
face,  and  look  as  terrible  as  Azor — swallow  medi- 
cine which  tastes  like  the  devil-and-his-grand- 
mother. 

The  16.  .  .  .  That  the  Frau  Gevatterin  is 
in  such  favor  with  the  queen,  delights  me.  Her 
majesty  is  said  to  be  a  great  friend  of  the  German 
theatre.  There  was  once  here  such  a  woman,  who, 
truly,  was  no  monarch,  but  yet  in  other  respects  was 
a  good  sort  of  woman,  and  she  was  delighted  when  the 
Frau  Gevatterin  sat  at  her  little,  tiny  little  table,  and 
Trinne*  had  made  the  rice  puffs  or  the  jelly  tarts 
good  and  palatable.  .  .  .  One  pen  is  com- 
pletely blunted  with  writing.  For  this  long  letter 
you  have  to  thank  my  monkey  face  ;  f  writing  does 
me  good  to-day.  .  .  .  This  is  indeed  a  letter  in 
the  old  style,  \  as  if  it  were  going  to  Cassel.  All 


*  Katharina.  t  Her  swollen  face. 

\  We  give  only  portions  of  the  letter,  the  parts  omitted  being 
chiefly  the  theatrical  gossip  of  the  day,  which  has  no  longer  any 
interest. 


i  72  Goethes  Mother. 

greet   you    and    the    Frau  Gevatterin.     I  also,  and 
with  the  assurance  that  I  am  in  truth 

Your  friend  ELISABETH. 


86.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 


The  iQth  December,  1788. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  Your  dear  letter  rejoiced  me  very 
much,  for  more  reasons  than  one  ;  for  already  rose 
up  in  me  the  thought,  as  if  out  of  a  black  thunder- 
cloud, thou  and  thy  name  are  clean  forgotten.  The 
more  agreeably  was  I  surprised.  When  one  con- 
siders anything  as  lost,  and  it  is  unexpectedly  found, 
the  soul  feels  a  kind  of  comfort,  which  does  it  un- 
speakable good.  Only,  the  end  of  your  letter  really 
frightened  me.  You  will  not,  after  all,  actually  carry 
out  that  singular  idea,  and  take  a  journey  of  sixty 
miles  in  this  terrible  season  of  the  year.  It  would 
have  no  good  consequences  for  you  or  for  me.  No 
soul  either  in  Berlin  or  here  would  believe  that  you 
had  undertaken  the  journey  solely  on  my  account  ; 
but  all  the  world  must  think  that  it  did  not  please 
you  any  longer  there,  and  that  you  wanted  to  offer 
yourself  again  here,  and  when  you  went  away  it 
would  be  said,  accordingly,  that  the  Direction  would 
not  have  you  ;  and  then  stories  without  end  would 
be  fabricated.  Even  in  Berlin  they  might  think  the 
same.  Such  disadvantages  would  such  a  step  have  on 
your  side.  And  now  not  even  to  mention  all  that 
would  be  reported  in  regard  to  me.  Do  you  think, 
then,  that  such  another  leave-taking  would  be  a  balm 
to  me  ?  No,  dear  friend,  such  a  scene  I  would  not 
have  again  !  If  fate  wills  it  that  I  should  see  you 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzclmann.  173 

again,  it  must  occur  in  the  old  way  ;  otherwise  I 
humbly  decline  it.  In  the  anxiety  of  my  heart  I 
send  this  letter  by  the  flying  post,  and  earnestly  beg 
you  to  set  me  at  ease  by  just  the  two  words  "  I  stay 
where  I  am)."  Everything  concerning  theatrical 
matters  I  send  you  next  week.  That  the  Frau  Ge- 
vatterin  has  carried  off  the  victory  over  Frau  Will- 
mann  was  not  unexpected  to  me  :  the  public  here 
thought  so,  and  the  players  too.  .  .  .  Ay,  ay, 
to  what  great  honor  has  my  mantle  attained  !  to 
adorn  the  very  shoulders  and  loins  of  an  emperor. 
What  may  not  become  of  things  when  they  get  into 
the  right  hands  :  with  me  it  would  have  remained  in 
obscurity,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  its  present 
possessor  has  brought  it  to  fame  and  honor. 
If  your  little  son  in  Mainz  gets  through  his  illness 
it  will  be  a  wonder  ;  he  has  the  small-pox  so  prodig- 
iously that  the  whole  child  is  one  pock  ;  but  he  has, 
by  my  order,  a  doctor,  and  all  possible  care  ;  you 
can,  therefore,  be  easy  about  him.  My  health  has 
begun  to  go  up-hill  again  ;  only  on  account  of  the 
Siberian  cold  my  physician  has  forbidden  me  to  go 
out.  Farewell,  and  answer  me  speedily — that  you 
accept  good  advice,  and  will  remain  where  you  are. 
Once  more,  thanks  for  your  good  letter. 
From  your  friend 

ELISABETH. 

Give  little  Carl  a  smack  from  me,  and  teach  him 
my  name,  so  that  when  he  comes  back  here  it  may 
not  be  strange  to  him. 


1 74  Goethe's  Mother. 

87.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  2d  January,  1789. 

DEAR  SON  :  I  am  very  glad  that  the  little  Christ- 
mas present  gave  you  pleasure.  Have  the  kindness 
to  give  best  thanks  in  my  name  to  Herren  Wieland, 
Bertuch,  and  Krause  for  the  Mercury  and  the  Jour- 
nal  of  Fashion  ;  only,  I  must  remind  them  that  the 
Mercury  for  December,  1788,  has  not  yet  been  sent 
me.  Do  me  the  favor  to  see  that  I  get  it,  otherwise 
last  year's  series  will  be  incomplete.  We  live  here  in 
expectation  of  what  is  to  come  :  the  Main  has  not 
yet  broken  up,  and  all  are  apprehensive  of  a  flood. 
We  still  remember  1782,  but  we  must  patiently  abide 
the  result  ;  1 5  weeks  already  has  the  old  gentleman 
been  shut  up.  Every  one  awaits  anxiously  the  firing 
of  the  cannons,  for  that  is  the  signal  that  it  is  break- 
ing up.  If  it  happens  in  the  daytime,  all  who  have 
sound  legs  run  to  see,  and  it  is  truly  a  terrible  sight. 
I  wish  you  could  see  it  with  us.  For  the  rest,  every- 
thing goes  on  here  its  usual  way — Mondays  a  ball  ; 
Fridays  a  concert  ;  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  and 
Saturdays,  the  play  ;  not,  however,  by  our  former 
company,  but  Koberwein,  from  Strassburg,  plays 
until  the  beginning  of  Lent.  The  company  is  very 
ordinary,  but  the  ballet  is  really  pretty.  My  greatest 
hobby  now  is  playing  upon  the  harpsichord  ;  it  makes 
me  very  happy.  Farewell,  and  think  sometimes  of 
Your  true  friend,  E.  G. 

88.  Frau  Rath  to  her  Grandchildren. 

The  23d  February,  1789. 

DEAR,   DEAR,    GOOD,    EXCELLENT    GRANDCHIL- 
DREN :  Oh  what  joy  you  have  caused  me  !  and  it 


Frau  Rath  to  her  Grandchildren.      175 

all  came  so  very  unexpectedly  !  Dear  Louisa,  it 
was  as  if  you  had  known  that  I  was  in  great  need  of 
a  knitting-bag — my  very  best  one  is  9  years  old,  and 
as  inelegant  as  possible  ;  and  as  I  very  often  have 
occasion  to  go  into  company  where  work  is  done,  it 
was  highly  necessary  to  procure  a  new  one  ;  and  here 
comes  one,  so  entirely  by  chance — a  fine,  handsome 
one,  made  by  my  dear  grandchild — no  other  one 
could  have  been  so  precious  to  me.  But  this  one  I 
shall  indeed  hold  in  honor  :  tell  all  my  acquaintances 
from  whom  it  comes,  and  be  proud  of  my  clever  and 
industrious  grandchild.  Receive,  then,  my  best 
thanks  for  it.  My  dear  Julia,  I  thank  thee,  too,  for 
thy  prettily-worked  present  ;  it  shall  also  be  paraded 
in  thy  remembrance,  that  every  one  may  see  that 
thou,  too,  dear  Juliette,  thinkest  of  thy  grandmother. 
And  my  dear  Jettchen,*  with  her  pretty  little  bas- 
ket, as  neat  as  could  possibly  be  made — potz  ficker- 
ment  !  Grandmother  must  now  be  industrious,  and, 
N.B.,  make  also  pretty  work,  such  as  will  suit  so 
elegant  a  basket.  I  will,  at  least,  do  my  very  ut- 
most not  to  put  it  to  shame.  I  thank  thee  herewith 
heartily  for  thy  love  for  grandmother. 

Faithful,  staunch  knight  Edward  !  Thou,  too, 
thinkest  of  me.  Ah,  out  of  this  glass  it  tastes  good  ; 
I  drank  at  once  my  dear  knight's  health,  and  shall 
often  do  so  :  thanks,  thanks,  thanks,  dear  Edward. 
The  stout  Catharine  asks  every  day  if  Edward  and 
Jettgen  are  coming  very  soon.  She  would  be  too 
glad  to  look  on  with  them  at  guard-mounting  ;  and 

*  Henrietta. 


1 76  Goethe  s  Mother. 

Elisabeth  *  would  like  once  more  to  make  baked 
puddings.  Come  again  very  soon  ;  dost  thou  hear? 
Now,  dear  grandchildren,  once  more  my  thanks  ; 
continue  further  to  give  joy  to  your  dear  parents  and 
to  me,  and  believe  that  I  ever,  from  my  whole  heart, 
am 

Your  tenderly  loving  grandmother, 

ELISABETH  GOETHE. 


89.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann. 

Sent  off  the  pth  March,  1789. 

DEAR  FRIEND  :  When  you  have  written,  sealed, 
and  sent  off  your  letters,  it  is  just  as  if  you  had  drunk 
out  of  the  river  Lethe  :  all  is  so  cleanly  wiped  out  of 
your  memory  that  not  a  trace  of  it  remains  behind  ; 
for  how  were  it  possible  otherwise,  that  you  should 
be  hurt  at  the  expression  master-stroke^  which  says 
and  expresses  nothing  different  from  what  you  your- 
self have  said,  and  expressed  in  all  your  letters.  Am 
I,  perchance,  to  condole  with  you  because  you  and 
the  Frau  Gevatterin  have  the  greatest  success  ?  be- 
cause the  latter  is  the  favorite  of  one  of  the  greatest 
Queens  ?  because  she  ousts  everybody  ?  because  the 
King  himself  has  said  that  she  sings  better  than 

*  Elizabeth  Hoch,  who  lived  with  the  Frau  Rath  many  years, 
and  was  with  her  at  her  death.  Of  Goethe  she  always  spoke 
as  "  unser  junger  Herr  "  (our  young  master).  She  was  assigned  a 
place  of  honor  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Goethe  at  Frankfort 
in  1844.  She  died  in  1846,  in  her  Syth  year. 

f  In  a  previous  letter,  which  is  not  given  because  it  was  not 
important,  the  Frau  Rath  had  said,  "  the  going  away  from  here 
was  a  master-stroke." 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzclmann.  177 

W.,  and  the  latter  had  to  withdraw  in  disgrace,  and 
abandon  the  scene  of  action  ?  because,  when  the  play 
was  in  Potsdam,  the  King  presented  900  thalers  to 
the  cash-box  (N.B.,  "  for  me  and  the  Gevatterin"  you 
write)  because  you  have  had  a  benefit-concert  where 
(according  to  the  newspaper  reports)  the  King  gave 
40  Friedrichs  d'or,  the  Queen  10,  and,  besides  that, 
the  house  was  crammed  full  ?  because  you,  worthy 
friend,  in  Fiesco  and  other  parts,  have  been  applauded 
by  the  King  ?  and  more  of  the  like.  All  this  surely 
deserves  no  jeremiads  !  The  Frau  Gevatterin  wrote, 
too  (not  to  me,  for  what  should  induce  her  to  do  that  ?) 
but  to  St.,  that  she  was  treated  with  the  greatest 
affection,  and  that  this  was  her  amends  for  the 
sufferings  of  the  last  3  years  passed  here,  and  so  on. 
Oh,  how  happy  (thought  I,  amid  all  these  splendid 
tidings)  must  these  good  people  now  be  :  with  shud- 
dering must  they  reflect  upon  their  residence  here, 
where  envy,  intrigue,  neglect  embittered  their  days. 
Since  these  above-narrated  events  are  not  tittle-tattle 
from  others,  but  actual  facts  from  their  own  letters, 
it  is  impossible  for  me  to  retract  my  opinion  ;  but  I 
maintain  against  every  one,  who  ever  he  may  be,  that 
the  leaving  here  and  going  to  Berlin  was — a  master- 
stroke. That  you  vexed  yourself  over  my  poor  let- 
ters I  do  not  at  all  comprehend  ;  but  may  I  yet  ven- 
ture, without  giving  offence,  to  ask  after  my  own 
things  ?  especially  as  they  are  of  no  use  to  you  :  of 
what  service  to  you  is  one  part  of  the  German 
Mercury  ?  and  it  makes  my  whole  collection  incom- 
plete. And  what  has  the  saddler  at  Mainz  to  do  with 
my  furniture — what  is  it  to  him  ?  Have  the  kindness 
(but  don't  get  vexed)  to  send  me  the  Mercury,  and 


178  Goethe  s  Mother. 

give  me  instructions  for  Mainz,  while  the  company  is 
still  there.  Those  must  truly  be  strange  things  which 
should  give  you  the  right  not  to  hold  to  your  con- 
tract ;  as  I  cannot  penetrate  into  this  secret,  it  is  out 
of  my  power  to  judge  of  it,  only  I  beg  and  beseech 
you,  out  of  old  friendship,  take  no  rash  step,  for  re- 
pentance after  an  act  avails  nothing,  and  is  the  most 
painful  of  all  feelings.  You  would  come  here  ? 
Why  ?  for  what  purpose  ?  Is,  then,  your  engagement 
in  Mainz  so  certain  already  that  you  need  only  to 
come  ?  and  if  it  were  so,  has  the  company,  then,  so 
changed  within  the  year  ?  As  far  as  I  know,  all  the 
hateful  people  who  drove  you  away  from  here  are 
still  there,  and  remains  there  beside.  What  in  all  the 
world  is  the  matter  with  you  all  at  once  ? — out  of  par- 
adise back  into  purgatory  :  let  anybody  versify  me 
that  !  Well,  well,  it  was  a  sudden  freak  of  ill- 
humor,  which  will,  no  doubt,  subside.  Is  it  not  so,  I 
have  divined  it  ?  There  will  again  come  model  let- 
ters, corresponding  to  the  previous  ones,  over  which 
your  friends  can  rejoice.  Goschen  is  a  1  .  .  .  d.'::' 
Here  he  sends  the  8th  volume  again,  bound  in  paper 
like  the  first  4  parts  :  what  folly  has  seized  him  to 
have  the  5th  part  so  splendidly  bound  ?  But  he  shall 
catch  it  :  I  have  sent  an  epistle  to  the  proper  place, 
and  have  made  a  strong  complaint  of  this  unexem- 
plary  behavior.  I  hope  that  this  part  will  procure  you 
some  happy  hours.  How  has  the  Devil' s  Opera,  my 
favorite  piece,  been  received  ?  It  would  have  been 
truly  a  great  misfortune  if  you  had  cut  out  Herr  C. 's 
eye.  He  is  said  to  be  a  very  handsome  man,  and 

*  Lumpenhund  (ragamuffin). 


Frau  RatJi  to  Louisa  Sclilosser.       1 79 

to  have  a  lady  passionately  in  love  with  him  ;  she 
would  have  paid  you  for  it  finely.     .     .     . 

Your  friend  ELISABETH. 


90.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Schlosser. 

The  I4th  October,  1789. 

DEAR  LOUISA  :  I  am  very  glad  that  the  book 
sent  gave  thee  joy,  and  I  wish  nothing  so  much  as 
always  to  be  able  to  provide  some  little  pleasure  for 
thee  and  thy  dear  sisters.  The  Frauleins  von 
Clermont  are  very  nice  children  ;  but  I  saw  them 
for  too  short  a  time,  and  had  too  little  intercourse 
with  them  to  decide  which  one  pleased  me  best. 
They  remembered  their  stay  with  you  all  with  much 
pleasure,  and  told  me  much  that  was  dear  and  good 
of  you  all,  which  was  very  gratifying  to  me.  My 
best  and  heartiest  greeting  to  Aunt  Bogner  ;  and  the 
book  asked  for,  I  will  see  if  it  can  be  had,  and  send 
it.  I  am  very  much  pleased  that  thou  esteemest  so 
highly  my  well-meant  but  badly-scrawled  letter,  and 
that  thou  keepest  it  so  carefully.  For  writing  is  not 
precisely  my  forte,  and  my  letters,  if  I  do  not  give 
very  special  attention  to  them,  have  very  often 
neither  form  nor  skill  ;  so-  much  the  more  it  flatters 
me  that  thou  esteemest  them  so  much  as  to  keep 
them.  Yes,  if  I  wrote  as  well  as  my  Louisa — Potz 
Fischen  !  then  all  Christendom  should  have  letters 
from  me.  Well,  well,  each  one  has  his  own  peculiar 
gift  ;  and  if  I  were  with  you  all  in  the  long  winter 
evenings  I  would  surely  let  my  light  shine,  and  make 
your  time  so  pass  away  with  pleasant  stories  and 
pretty  legends  that  there  should  be  nothing  like  it. 


i  So  Goethe  s  Mother. 

Now  I  have  still  to  write  to  dear  Julia,  so  farewell 
for  this  time,  and  hold  dear 
Thy  faithful  grandmother, 

ELISABETH  GOETHE. 


91.  Frau  RatJi  to  FricdricJi  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  1st  March,  1790. 

DEAR  SON  :  The  first  thing  I  beg  of  you  is  to 
thank  my  son  for  his  6th  volume.  Tasso  and  Lilla 
are  new  to  me,  and  I  hope  to  have  much  pleasure 
from  them.  Inform  him,  further,  that  his  Roman 
Carnival  has  been  represented  with  all  splendor  at  a 
Court-ball  in  Mainz  ;  this  intelligence  Mamma  La 
Roche  sends  him  with  her  hearty  compliments.  The 
Emperor's*  death  has  made  our  city  a  living  grave  : 
the  ringing  of  all  the  bells,  which  takes  place  twice 
a  day  for  four  weeks — namely,  in  the  morning  from 
II  to  12,  and  the  evening  from  5  to  6  o'clock — has 
such  a  lugubrious  tone  that  one  has  to  cry  whether 
one  would  or  not.  The  whole  magistracy  is  in  deep 
mourning  ;  the  garrison  black,  everything  wound 
with  crape  ;  the  imperial  recruiting  officers,  the 
councillors,  ambassadors,  and  so  on,  all,  all  black  ;  it 
has  an  exceedingly  mournful  appearance.  Next 
Sunday,  the  7th  March,  there  is  to  be  a  funeral  ser- 
mon in  all  the  churches  of  the  three  religions  ;  the 
cathedral  is  to  be  entirely  hung  in  black  ;  young  and 
old  to  appear  in  deep  mourning  ;  singers  are  en- 
gaged for  the  funeral  mass,  and  this  single  item  costs 
2000  florins.  Should  the  future  coronation  draw 

*  Joseph  II. 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein.     181 

near,  you  know  where  your  place  is.  I  have,  also, 
for  that  time  a  plan  in  my  head  which  it  is  too  early 
yet  and  inopportune  to  communicate.  If  I  live  to  see 
it — well,  with  time  comes  counsel.  Give  my  re- 
spects to  your  mother,  and  believe  that  I  am  ever- 
more 

Your  true  friend,  E.  G. 


92.  Frau  Rath  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  22d  April,  1790. 

DEAR  SON  :  I  have  a  request :  one  of  my  friends 
would  be  glad  to  know  if  his  Serene  Highness  the 
Duke  is  in  Weimar,  or  where  he  may  be  ;  two  lines 
of  reply  is  all  that  is  necessary.  But  I  should  be 
quite  as  glad  to  know  where  my  son  is.  Some  say  in 
Venice,  others  in  Switzerland.  Now  a  few  words  of 
myself  and  my  country.  The  mourning  for  the  Em- 
peror is  over  :  all  are  in  expectation  of  what  is  to 
come.  If  there  should  be  war,  as  is  reported,  then 
God  knows  when  the  coronation  will  be  !  Mean- 
while the  quarters  are  already  being  arranged,  and 
the  Ascent*  is  in  July.  I  will  await  it  all  with* 
patience,  and  a  little  room  shall  be  kept  for  you  ; 
for  the  show  you  must  surely  see  with  us.  Com- 
mend me  to  your  mother,  and  believe  that  I  am,  un- 
changeably, 

Your  faithful  mother,  E.  G. 


*  The  ascent  was  a  formal  procession  of  the  Ambassadors 
and  Imperial  Commissioners,  in  great  pomp,  to  the  Romer  or 
Imperial  Hall  in  Frankfort,  to  arrange  the  preliminaries  for  the 
election  of  an  Emperor. 


1 82  Goethes  Mother. 

93.  Frau  Rath  to  Unzelmann* 

ESTEEMED  HERR  GEVATTER  :  As  I  know  by  ex- 
perience that  it  is  your  method,  way,  and  manner  to 
offer  the  skin  for  sale  before  you  have  the  bear,  I 
therefore  consider  myself  bound  out  of  friendship  to 
place  our  situation  here  so  clearly  and  plainly  before 
your  eyes  that  you  may  be  in  a  position  to  reflect 
maturely  upon  the  matter,  in  order  not  to  bring 
yourself  anew  to  detriment,  vexation,  and  disgust. 
Koch  remains  from  to-day's  date,  nth,  say  eleven 
years  longer.  He  does  not  play  young  parts  any  more, 
but  has  relinquished  them  to  Porsch  and  Ziegler.  In 
fathers,  pedants,  heroes,  who  do  not  precisely  require 
to  be  young,  he  pleases,  and  is  in  favor  (which  is  the 
best)  with  Herrvon  Dahlberg  ;  will,  therefore,  hardly 
leave.  A  national  theatre  here  is  not  to  be  thought 
of  ;  as  long  as  the  authorities  forbid  the  play  dur- 
ing Advent  and  Lent,  any  such  thing  is  a  vain  wish 
which  cannot  be  fulfilled.  The  greatest  obstacle 
(setting  aside  those  above-mentioned)  to  ever  seeing 
you  here  again  is,  truly,  that  Dahlberg  is  still  very 

fangry  with  you  ;  and  I  know  from  a  sure  source  that 
whether  you  come  back  sooner  or  later,  punishment 
awaits  you.  How  is  it,  then,  credible  that  he  will  in- 

(  vite  you  back  here  ?  Do  not,  therefore,  sit  down 
again  between  two  stools  ;  and  begin,  for  once,  to  re- 
flect before  you  act.  But  by  all  means  tell  me  how 
it  comes  to  pass  that  you  want  to  be  off  again.  Your 
first  letter,  as  well  as  those  from  the  Frau  Gevatterin, 
were  all  so  full  of  rapture,  jubilation,  shouts  of  joy, 
royal  favor,  and  so  on.  We  poor  wretches,  with  all 
our  proven  friendship,  services  rendered,  and  good 


Frau  Rath  to  Friedrick  von  Stein.     183 

will,  fell  into  the  background  as  utterly  unimportant 
figures,  so  that  the  strongest  eye  could  not  perceive 
us  !  You  might,  at  least,  out  of  delicacy,  not  have 
painted  up  your  paradise  so  exquisitely,  and  have  then 
rather  kept  silent  about  the  amends  for  the  3  years 
of  misery  (as  the  Frau  Gevatterin  expressed  herself 
in  a  letter).  Be  assured  that  this  trumpet-tone  hurt 
your  friends  very  much  ;  but  all  this  aside.  God 
grant  you  many  more  happy  days,  although  they 
may  not  be  passed  with  us ;  yet  the  world  is  large, 
and  God's  heaven  over  all,  and  your  mutual  talents 
find  everywhere  success.  Greet  your  dear  wife,  the 
little  singer  Carl,  the  little  girl,  from 

Your  Gevatterin,  who  means  it  sincerely, 

ELISABETH. 
The  nth  May,  1790. 

P.S.  The  poor  organ  gave  the  enterprise  up  to  D. 
at  precisely  the  wrong  time.  The  coronation  would 
have  extricated  him  from  all  difficulties.  In  July  is 
the  first  Ascent  for  the  election  ;  *  that  is  a  great 
spectacle.  My  house  will  be  crammed  full  from  top 
to  bottom. 


94.   Frau  RatJi  to  FriedricJi  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  1 2th  June,  1790. 

DEAR  SON  :  It  is  nearly  impossible  to  determine 
how  much  a  residence  here  during  the  coronation 
would  cost  ;  so  much  is  certain,  that  a  single  room 
will  cost  a  carolin  a  day,  and  board  for  a  day  cer- 
tainly not  under  a  crown-piece.  Besides,  it  is  also  a 

*  "  Auffahrt  zur  Wahl."     See  preceding  note. 


184  Goethe  s  Mother. 

question  whether  a  cavalier,  who  is  not  in  the  train 
of  an  Electoral  Ambassador,  could  get  a  room,  for 
our  best  inns  are  being  let  entire.  Dick  in  the  Red 
House  has  already  been  offered  30,000  florins,  but 
he  will  not  yet  give  it  for  that.  If  Leopold  should 
be  Emperor,  God  knows  where  all  the  people  will 
find  room  ;  for,  in  that  case,  ambassadors  come  who 
strictly  do  not  belong  to  the  coronation,  such  as  the 
Spanish,  Neapolitan,  one  from  Sicily,  and  so  on.  The 
Papal  Ambassador  has  hired  a  country  house  for  3000 
carolin,  because  he  could  find  no  place  in  the  town. 
The  persons  who  choose  the  quarters  have  not  yet 
been  to  my  house,  consequently  I  do  not  venture 
outside  the  door,  and  in  this  splendid,  heavenly 
weather,  sit,  as  it  were,  in  the  Bastille.  If  they 
should  find  me  absent  they  might  take  the  whole 
house,  for  these  gentlemen  are  deuced  quick  at 
taking,  and  when  they  have  once  marked  the  rooms 
I  would  not  advise  any  one  to  dispose  of  them  in  any 
other  manner.  Now  I  must  tell  you  something  more 
that  is  amusing.  Last  winter  there  was  no  ice  here, 
and  the  polite  world  had  to  go  without  this  luxury  ; 
one  man  only,  named  T — ,  has  a  pit  full  still  from 
the  year  '88.  This  pit  is  about  as  large  as  my  sitting- 
room,  but  only  3  feet  high.  The  Elector  of  Cologne 
has  offered  this  man  19,000  florins,  but  he  will  not 
sell  for  less  than  30,000  florins.  Oh,  if  I  only  had 
ice  now  instead  of  wine  !  If  the  coronation  is  not 
delayed  until  winter  :  I  am  anxious  and  uneasy 
about  it  ;  but  we  must  wait  with  patience.  You  will 
certainly  come  with  my  son  ?  You  shall  have  a 
room  ;  but  it  is  true  you  must  content  yourself 
should  it  be  three  flights  up.  What  would  that  mat- 


Mccklcnbcrg  Princesses.  185 

ter?  we  will  be  merry  for  all  that.     In  this  agreeable 
expectation,  I  remain  as  always, 

Your  faithful  friend,  E.  G. 


The  Frau  Rath,  as  the  daughter  of  a  chief  magis- 
trate of  Frankfort,  and  having  always  relatives  in  the 
magistracy,  had  her  privileged  place  for  witnessing 
the  various  election  and  coronation  ceremonies.  A 
little  window  in  the  Romer,  near  the  clock,  is  still 
pointed  out  as  the  spot  whence  she  looked  out  on 
the  pomp  and  parade  of  the  five  coronations  which 
occurred  during  her  lifetime. 

On  this  occasion  there  were  assigned  to  her  as 
guests  two  Mecklenburg  princesses,  nieces  of  Queen 
Charlotte  of  England.  One  of  them  was  the  after- 
ward so  celebrated  Queen  Louisa  of  Prussia.  The 
other  took  for  her  third  husband  a  son  of  George  III., 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  who,  later,  became  King 
of  Hanover. 

These  princesses  were  then  young  girls,  and  the 
Frau  Rath  was  only  too  happy  to  see  youthful  faces 
about  her.  Delighted  to  be  freed  from  the  restraints 
of  court-etiquette,  they  looked  eagerly  about  them 
for  amusement,  and,  spying  the  pump  in  the  court- 
yard, begged  to  be  allowed  the  fun  of  pumping 
water.  The  permission  was  readily  granted,  and  the 
future  queens  were  joyously  at  work  when  the  cir- 
cumstance came  to  the  knowledge  of  their  governess. 
Horror  and  consternation  were  the  natural  feelings 
of  a  right-minded  governess  in  such  an  emergency, 
and  she  hastened  to  put  a  stop  to  such  unprincess- 
like  behavior.  But  here  the  Frau  Rath  was  in  her 


i86  Goethes  Mother. 

element  :  she  had  stood  for  years  between  her  own 
children  and  their  stern,  exacting  father  ;  to  fly  into 
the  breach  between  youth  and  authority  had  been 
for  years  her  daily  life  ;  she  confronted  the  governess 
with  all  the  arguments  she  could  think  of — she  beg- 
ged, she  coaxed,  she  wheedled — but  finding  every- 
thing ineffectual,  she  quietly  pushed  the  governess 
into  her  room  and  locked  her  in.  "  For,"  she  said, 
"  I  would  have  brought  down  on  my  head  the 
greatest  annoyance  sooner  than  that  they  should  have 
been  disturbed  in  their  innocent  diversion,  which 
was  permitted  them  nowhere  except  in  my  house. " 

95.  Frau  RatJi  to  Friedrich  von  Stein. 

FR.,  the  2Oth  December,  1790. 
DEAR  Sox  :  After  the  great  confusion  which  we 
had  here,  it  is  now  as  still  as  death.  It  is  very  agree- 
able to  me,  for  now  I  can  let  my  hobby-horses  gal- 
lop so  much  the  more  quietly.  I  have  four  of  them, 
of  which  one  is  as  dear  to  me  as  the  other,  and  I 
often  do  not  know  which  shall  come  first  in  order. 
Sometimes  it  is  making  Brabant  lace,  which  I  have 
learned  in  my  old  age,  and  take  a  childish  pleasure 
in  it ;  then  comes  the  harpsichord,  then  reading, 
and  lastly,  chess,  long  given  up,  and  now  brought 
out  again.  The  Countess  of  Isenburg,  who  lodges  in 
my  house,  takes  also  great  pleasure  in  the  above- 
named  game  ;  evenings  when  we  are  both  at  home, 
which,  thank  God,  is  often  the  case,  we  play,  and 
forget  the  whole  world,  and  amuse  ourselves  royally. 
Since  it  is  now  customary  that  at  the  end  of  the  year 
a  number  of  the  Mercury  shall  always  be  missing, 


Friedrich  von  Stein.  187 

there  is  lacking  for  this  time  No.  2.  Pray,  ask  dear 
Gevatter  Wieland  to  have  it  sent  to  me  ;  thank  him, 
too,  for  all  the  friendship  shown  me  anew  during  this 
year  ;  and  you,  dear  son,  receive  my  hearty  thanks 
for  all  your  love,  and  believe  that  I  am  ever  and  al- 
ways, in  truth, 

Your  true  friend  and  mother,  E.  G. 


The  above  is  the  last  letter  to  Friedrich  von  Stein 
in  the  collection  edited  by  Drs.  Ebers  and  Kahlert. 

In  the  spring  of  1791  von  Stein  went  to  the  Uni- 
versity at  Jena,  and,  possibly,  his  correspondence 
with  the  Frau  Rath  ceased  at  this  time.  At  Jena 
von  Stein  lived  with  the  Schillers.  Charlotte  von 
Lengfeld  ("Schiller's  wife)  had  been  one  of  the  friends 
and  correspondents  of  his  youth,  the  two  families  of 
von  Stein  and  von  Lengfeld,  having  been  very  in- 
timate ;  so  that  when  von  Stein  went  to  Jena  the 
Schillers  received  him  into  their  own  house.  Later 
he  made  a  journey  to  Hamburg  and  England,  and 
on  his  return  went  to  Silesia.  At  this  time  we  find 
an  interesting  notice  of  him  in  the  Schiller- Korner 
Correspondence.  On  the  3d  of  July,  1795,  Schiller 
writes  to  Korner:  "  The  young  Herr  von  Stein  will 
shortly  visit  thee  in  Dresden.  The  Duke  sends  him 
for  several  years  to  Breslau,  to  study  the  adminis- 
tration of  finances,  and  fit  himself  for  president  of 
the  exchequer  at  Weimar.  He  is  an  assistant  at  the 
Board  of  Finances  in  Weimar.  You  all  will  find  in 
him  a  young  man  of  attainments  and  a  very  excel- 
lent fellow." 

On  the  6th  of  November  Korner  replies  :    "  Stein 


1 88  Goethes  Mother. 

has  been  here,  and  made  a  very  agreeable  impression 
upon  us.  There  is  nothing  in  his  entire  nature  to 
inspire  one  with  enthusiasm  for  him,  except  a  certain 
symmetrical  harmony  which  is  as  agreeable  to  the 
feelings  as  beautiful  architectural  proportions  to  the 
eye.  He  is  natural,  easy,  cheerful,  sensible,  without 
betraying  any  marked  ability  ;  is  open  to  impres- 
sions, but  without  a  trace  of  enthusiasm,  and  yet 
has  a  certain  warmth  of  feeling,  of  the  degree  of 
which  one  cannot  judge  on  a  short  acquaintance. 
Thou  hast  known  him  longer,  and  must  be  aware 
whether  anything  remarkable  in  any  particular  line 
is  to  be  expected  of  him.  Or  was  this,  perhaps,  not 
the  aim  in  his  education  ? 

"  Was  he  only  to  be  educated  to  be  a  man  ?  Were 
his  impulses,  generally  speaking,  never  impetuous  ? 
Or  have  they  had  the  skill  to  modify  them  by  some 
counter  action  ?  Whatever  thou  canst  write  me 
about  the  education  of  this  man  is  interesting  to  me. 
I  have  attentively  observed  him  as  a  pedagogical 
work  of  art." 

Schiller  then  writes  that  Korner's  remarks  have 
interested  Goethe.  "  It  was,  in  fact,  Goethe  who 
directed  his  entire  education,  and  took  for  his  aim  to 
make  him  thoroughly  objective.*  Stein  has  always 
had  a  very  salutary  influence  on  me,  and  he  has,  at 
times,  actually  put  me  out  of  conceit  with  what  is 
called  being  genial, f  because  without  a  trace  of  this 
quality  he  is  so  good  and  estimable.  It  is  true  such 


*  Or,  "to  make  the  objective  prevail  in  his  character"  (Simp- 
son's translation  of  the  Schiller  and  Korner  Correspondence), 
f  "Genialitat." 


Frail.  Rath  to  Louisa  Scklosser        189 

men  would  only  be  able  to  maintain  the  world  as  it 
is,  but  not  to  advance  it  any  farther." 

Von  Stein  eventually,  with  the  acquiescence  of  the 
Duke  Carl  August,  accepted  a  permanent  appoint- 
ment from  the  Prussian  Government,  and  remained 
in  Breslau,  where  he  married,  and  occupied  a  promi- 
nent position.  In  the  correspondence  of  Goethe 
with  Frau  von  Stein,  his  mother,  he  is  often  alluded 
to,  and  seems  not  infrequently  to  have  visited  Wei- 
mar. He  died  at  Breslau  in  1844. 


96.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Schlosser. 

DEAR,  GOOD,  EXCELLENT  LOUISA  :  A  thousand 
thanks  for  thy  pretty,  tasteful,  and,  withal,  superb 
work-table.  There  is  none  such  in  Frankfort.  It  is, 
for  this  reason,  being  carried  about  to  be  shown  from 
house  to  house  :  to  day  it  is  at  Frau  Stock's,  and  I 
rejoice  in  anticipation  of  how,  this  afternoon,  my 
clever  Louisa  will  be  praised  and  lauded  in  my  pres- 
ence by  old  and  young.  As  soon  as  it  was  unpacked 
I  carried  it  to  my  Countess,  who  lodges  in  the 
house.  I  had  to  leave  it  up  there  the  whole  day,  so 
that  she  might  show  it  to  the  persons  of  rank  who 
came  to  visit  her.  They  all  fell  in  love  with  it,  and 
each  one  would  be  glad  to  have  such  a  handsome 
piece  of  furniture  in  her  best  room.  I  was  envied  by 
all  on  account  of  my  clever  grandchild,  which  made 
me  very  happy.  Accept,  then,  once  more,  my  thanks 
for  it.  Next  week  a  box  full  of  cakes  and  other  bon- 
bons shall  rejoice  your  hearts.  Tell  thy  father  he 
shall  have  the  account  also,  next  week.  Greet  heartily 
thy  dear  mother,  as  well  as  thy  brother  and  sisters, 


190  Goethe's  Mother. 

the  dear  Bogner,  and  Charlotte.  Farewell !  Hold 
her  dear,  and  in  good  remembrance,  who  is  and  re- 
mains 

Thy  faithful  grandmother, 

ELISABETH  GOETHE. 
The  1st  May,  1791. 

97.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Schlosser. 

The  8th  January,  1792. 

DEAR  LOUISA  :  It  rejoices  me  very  much  indeed 
that  I  have  contributed  in  anything  to  thy  happi- 
ness. My  wish  is  always  to  give  pleasure  to  all  of 
you  dear  ones,  and  when  this  end  is  attained  I  feel 
very  happy.  For  this  same  reason  I  am  always  sorry 
when  I  cannot  gratify  thy  desire,  my  dear  Louisa. 
I  have  given  myself  all  conceivable  pains,  have 
asked  all  judges  and  lovers  of  music,  but  no  one  can 
give  me  any  information  of  the  Ariadne  in  the  form 
thou  desirest  it.  Should  I  yet  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
find  the  work,  thou  shalt  certainly  have  it  at  once. 
I  am  glad  that  thou  and  dear  Clarchen  love  each 
other  so  well.  Guard  this  friendship  in  your  hearts, 
for  it  is  a  precious  thing  thus  to  wander  through  our 
earthly  life  with  a  tried  friend.  In  my  youth  it  was 
to  me  also  a  great  joy,  at  New  Year's,  to  hear  sing- 
ing, drumming,  and  fifing  ;  but  now  my  bed  is  dearer 
to  me.  At  half-past  nine,  this  time,  I  was  already  so 
sound  asleep  that  neither  the  watchman  with  his 
friendly  voice,  nor  fifing  and  drumming  disturbed 
me  amid  my  7  pillows.  Although  I  was  not  present 
in  body  with  you  all,  yet  I  wished  you  all  the  con- 
tinuance of  your  well-being,  together  with  prosper- 


Goethes  "  Campaign  in  France"       191 

ity,  happiness,  and  blessing  ;    and   may  this  be  re- 
peated once  more  herewith.     Farewell  !     Hold  dear 
Thy-  loving  grandmother, 

ELISABETH  GOETHE. 


Letter  98  is  Goethe's  reply  to  the  inquiry  from 
his  mother  whether  he  would  accept  a  seat  in  the 
Frankfort  Town  Council,  which  had  been  left  vacant 
by  the  death  of  his  Uncle  Textor.  His  mother's  let- 
ter reached  him  at  Treves,  as  he  was  with  difficulty 
\\  ending  his  way  back  from  the  Duke  of  Brunswick's 
disastrous  campaign  in  France,  whither  Goethe  had 
accompanied  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Weimar,  who  com- 
manded a  Prussian  regiment.  The  letter  acquires  a 
further  interest  when  placed  side  by  side  with  the 
following  passage  from  Goethe's  "  Campaign  in 
France,"  where  he  so  glowingly  depicts  the  varied 
emotions  called  up  by  the  honor  proffered  him  : 

TREVES,  the  28th  October  (1792). 
Now  when  we  found  ourselves  again  on  Ger- 
man ground,  and  might  hope  to  extricate  ourselves 
from  the  great  confusion,  information  reached  us  of 
Custine's  audacious  and  successful  exploits.  The 
great  magazine  at  Spires  had  fallen  into  his  hands, 
and  thereupon  he  had  found  means  to  bring  about 
the  surrender  of  Mainz.  These  steps  seemed  to 
bring  with  them  innumerable  ills  ;  they  indicated  an 
extraordinary  mind,  as  sagacious  as  it  was  daring, 
and,  in  that  case,  all  was  lost.  Nothing  seemed  more 
probable  and  natural  than  that  Coblence  should  al- 


192  Goethe's  Mother. 

ready  have  been  occupied  by  the  French  ;  and  how 
were  we  to  make  our  retreat  ?  Frankfort  likewise 
we  gave  up  in  thought  ;  *  Hanau  and  AschafTenburg 
on  the  one  hand,  Cassel  on  the  other,  we  saw  threat- 
ened, and,  altogether,  what  might  not  be  appre- 
hended ;  the  neighboring  princes  were  paralyzed  by 
the  system  of  neutrality,  and  this  made  the  masses, 
who  were  already  seized  with  the  revolutionary  ideas, 
so  much  the  more  animated  and  active.  Would  not 
the  whole  district  and  the  neighboring  provinces  be 
prepared  for  these  ideas,  just  as  Mainz  had  been 
worked  upon,  and  prompt  advantage  taken  of  those 
ideas  which  had  been  already  developed  ?  All  this 
was  necessarily  thought  of  and  discussed. 

I  heard  it  often  repeated  :  Would  the  French,  with- 
out great  deliberation  and  precaution,  without  a 
strong  force,  have  taken  such  important  steps  ?  Cus- 
tine's  actions  seemed  as  bold  as  they  were  cautious  : 
one  fancied  him,  his  associates,  his  superiors,  as  pru- 
dent, energetic,  sagacious  men.  The  emergency  was 
a  great  and  perplexing  one  ;  without  question,  the 
greatest  of  all  the  sufferings  and  anxieties  yet  ex- 
perienced. 

Amid  this  misery  and  confusion  there  reached 
me  a  retarded  letter  from  my  mother,  which  in  a 
strange  manner  recalled  the  circumstances  of  my 
peaceful  youth,  and  my  relations  to  my  home  and 
to  my  native  city.  My  uncle,  Alderman  Textor, 
had  died,  whose  near  relationship  had  during  his  life- 
time excluded  f  me  from  the  honorable  and  influen- 


*  Frankfort  had  been  already  occupied  by  Custine. 

f  But  one  member  of  a  family  was  eligible  to  the  Council. 


Goethe  s  "  Campaign  in  France?       193 

tial  position  of  a  Frankfort  Councillor  ;  and  now,  in 
accordance  with  the  established  and  laudable  cus- 
tom, they  thought  immediately  of  me,  I  being  pretty 
far  advanced  among  the  Frankfort  graduates. 

My  mother  had  been  commissioned  to  ask  of  me 
whether  I  would  accept  the  office  of  Councillor  if, 
having  been  chosen  among  those  to  be  balloted  for, 
the  golden  ball  should  fall  to  me  ?  Such  an  inquiry 
could  have  hardly  arrived  at  a  more  singular  time 
than  the  present.  I  was  taken  by  surprise,  and 
thrown  back  upon  myself  ;  a  thousand  images  rose 
before  me,  and  would  not  allow  me  to  collect  my 
thoughts  ;  but  as  a  sick  man  or  a  prisoner  forgets 
himself  for  a  while  over  some  story  that  is  related  to 
him,  so  was  I  transferred  to  other  spheres  and  other 
times. 

I  found  myself  in  my  grandfather's  garden, 
where  the  espaliers,  richly  laden  with  peaches,  were 
wont  to  tempt  the  grandson's  longing  appetite  ;  and 
only  the  threat  of  banishment  from  this  paradise, 
only  the  hope  of  receiving  the  ripest,  reddest- 
cheeked  fruit  from  the  benevolent  grandfather's  own 
hand,  could  in  some  degree  restrain  the  longing  until 
the  proper  time.  Then  I  saw  the  venerable  old 
man  busied  with  his  roses,  and  how  he  carefully  pro- 
tected his  hands  against  the  thorns  with  the  antique 
gloves,  brought  as  tribute  from  cities  freed  from  tax- 
ation ;  like  the  noble  Laertes,  and  yet  not  like  him,' 
filled  with  sorrow  and  longing.  Then  I  saw  him  in 
his  robes  as  Schultheiss,*  with  the  golden  chain, 
sitting  on  the  throne  under  the  Emperor's  portrait  ; 

*  Chief  Magistrate. 


194  Goethe  s  Mother. 

again,  alas  !  a  few  years  in  half  consciousness  in  the 
invalid's  chair,  and  finally  in  the  coffin. 

The  last  time  I  had  passed  through  Frankfort 
I  had  found  my  uncle  in  possession  of  the  house, 
court,  and  garden  ;  as  a  worthy  son  he  had,  like  his 
father,  mounted  to  the  loftier  positions  under  the 
constitution  of  this  free  city.  Here,  in  this  familiar 
family-circle,  in  this  unchanged,  well-known  place, 
these  boyhood  recollections  were  vividly  called  forth, 
and  presented  themselves  with  new  force  before  me. 
With  them  were  associated  other  youthful  ideas 
which  I  must  not  conceal.  What  citizen  of  a  free 
city  will  deny  that  he,  sooner  or  later,  has  had  in  view 
the  office  of  Councillor,  Alderman,  or  Burgomaster, 
and  to  the  best  of  his  ability  diligently  and  carefully 
striven  to  attain  to  them,  or  perhaps  to  less  impor- 
tant positions  ?  For  the  pleasing  thought  of  some  day 
taking  part  in  the  government  is  early  awakened  in 
the  breast  of  every  republican,  and  more  actively  and 
proudly  still  in  the  soul  of  a  boy. 

But  I  could  not  long  give  myself  up  to  these 
pleasing  dreams  of  my  childhood  ;  aroused  but  too 
soon,  I  viewed  the  ominous  locality  about  me,  the 
melancholy  surroundings  \vhich  hemmed  me  in,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  the  clouded,  darkened  outlook 
toward  my  native  town.  Mainz  in  the  hands  of  the 
French  ;  Frankfort  threatened,  if  not  already  taken, 
the  way  to  it  obstructed  ;  and  within  those  walls, 
streets,  squares,  dwellings,  the  friends  of  my  youth, 
my  kindred,  perhaps  already  overtaken  by  the  same 
misfortunes  from  which  I  had  seen  Longwy  and  Ver- 
dun so  cruelly  suffer — who  would  have  dared  to  rush 
headlong  into  the  midst  of  such  a  state  of  things  ? 


Goethe's  "  Campaign  in  France?       195 

But  even  in  the  happiest  days  of  that  venerable 
corporation  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to 
accede  to  this  proposal,  the  reasons  for  which  were 
easily  explained.  For  twelve  years  I  had  enjoyed  a 
singular  good  fortune  in  the  confidence  and  indul- 
gence of  the  Duke  of  Weimar.  This  highly  gifted 
and  cultivated  prince  was  content  to  accept  my  well- 
meant,  often  inadequate  services,  and  gave  me  such 
opportunity  to  develop  myself  as  would  have  been 
possible  under  no  other  circumstances  in  my  native 
country.  My  gratitude  was  boundless,  as  well  as  my 
attachment  to  the  august  ladies,  his  consort  and  his 
mother,  to  his  young  family,  and  to  a  country  to 
which  I  had  been  of  some  service.  Then,  had  I  not 
also  to  remember  that  circle  of  newly  acquired,  highly 
cultivated  friends,  as  well  as  so  many  other  domes- 
tic joys  and  blessings  that  had  sprung  from  the  per- 
manent character  of  my  position  ?  These  images  and 
feelings,  called  up  by  this  occurrence,  cheered  me,  at 
once,  at  a  most  gloomy  moment ;  for  you  are  already 
half-saved  if  from  the  mournfullest  situation  in  a 
strange  land  you  are  roused  to  cast  a  hopeful  glance 
toward  the  safe  home  ;  thus  may  we  enjoy  here  on 
earth  what  is  promised  us  beyond  the  spheres. 

In  this  mood  I  began  the  letter  to  my  mother, 
and  although  these  motives  seemed  at  first  to  rest  on 
personal  feeling  and  comfort  and  my  own  individual 
advantage,  yet  I  had  others  to  add  to  them,  relating 
to  the  welfare  of  my  native  city,  such  as  might  con- 
vince my  well-wishers  there.  For  how  could  I  prove 
myself  actively  useful,  in  that  very  peculiar  sphere, 
for  which,  perhaps,  more  than  for  any  other,  one 
needed  to  be  carefully  trained  ?  I  had  for  so  many 


196  Goethes  Mother. 

years  become  accustomed  to  employments  adapted 
to  my  capacity,  and  which  were  of  a  nature  such  as 
would  hardly  be  required  for  the  needs  and  purposes 
of  a  city  government.  Nay,  I  could  further  add  that 
if  only  burghers  could  properly  be  received  to  the 
Council,  I  had  now  become  such  a  stranger  to  that 
position  that  I  might  fully  be  considered  as  a  for- 
eigner. All  this,  with  my  thanks,  I  made  known  to 
my  mother,  who,  indeed,  hardly  expected  anything 
different.  It  must  truly  have  been  late  enough  ere 
this  letter  reached  her. 


98.    Goethe  to  his  Mother. 

The  hope,  beloved  mother,  of  spon  seeing  you 
again,  and  my  valued  Frankfort  friends,  has  now  van- 
ished, as  the  state  of  affairs  obliged  me  to  return  to 
Weimar  from  Diisseldorf  by  way  of  Paderborn  and 
Cassel. 

How  much  anxiety  I  have  had,  till  now,  on  your 
account  !  how  much  deplored  the  position  in  which 
my  fellow-countrymen  are  placed  !  But  how  much, 
also,  have  I  admired  their  demeanor  in  the  midst  of 
circumstances  so  critical.  Certainly  nothing  could 
have  been  more  flattering  to  me  than  the  inquiry 
whether  I  could  decide  to  accept  the  position  of 
Councillor,  should  the  lot  fall  to  me — an  inquiry 
which  reached  me  at  a  moment  when  in  the  eyes  of 
all  Europe,  nay,  of  the  whole  world,  it  is  an  honor  to 
have  been  born  a  citizen  of  Frankfort. 

The  friends  of  my  youth,  whom  I  had  always  so 
much  cause  to  value,  could  give  me  no  nobler  proof 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  197 

of  their  continued  remembrance  than  their  holding 
me  worthy  of  taking  a  part  in  the  administration  of 
the  commonwealth  at  this  important  epoch. 

Your  letter,  which  I  received  in  the  midst  of  the 
tumult  of  war,  cheered  the  sad  hours  I  had  to  pass 
through,  and  from  the  situation  of  affairs  I  could 
hope  in  a  short  time  to  see  again  my  loved  native 
town. 

In  that  case  it  was  my  intention  to  express  by 
word  of  mouth  my  thanks  for  the  signal  honor  done 
me,  and,  at  the  same  time,  circumstantially  and 
frankly  to  explain  the  position  in  which  at  present  I 
am  placed. 

With  the  irresistible  predilection  which  every 
right-thinking  man  feels  for  his  native  country,  it 
would  be  a  painful  sacrifice  for  me  to  decline  an  office 
that  every  citizen  accepts  with  joy,  and  that  espe- 
cially at  the  present  time  it  would  be  his  duty  to  ac- 
cept, were  I  not,  on  the  other  hand,  placed  here  in 
such  happy  relations,  which  I  may  well  say  are  favor- 
able beyond  my  deserts.  His  Highness  the  Duke 
has  treated  me  for  so  many  years  with  distinguished 
favor,  and  I  am  indebted  to  him  for  so  much,  that  it 
would  be  the  greatest  ingratitude  to  leave  my  post 
at  a  moment  when  the  state  is  most  in  need  of  faith- 
ful servants. 

I  therefore  beg  you  to  thank  in  the  warmest  man- 
ner the  estimable  men  who  manifest  toward  me  such 
friendly  sentiments.  Assure  them  of  my  sincere  ac- 
knowledgments, and  endeavor  to  preserve  for  me 
their  confidence  for  the  future. 

As  soon  as  the  state  of  affairs  in  any  way  permits, 
I  shall  do  justice  to  the  feelings  of  my  heart,  and 


198  Goethes  Mother. 

circumstantially  and  by  word  of  mouth  express  what 
could  only  be  imperfectly  said  in  this  letter.  May 
all  that  gives  present  anxiety  to  my  honored  fellow- 
citizens  continue  to  be  far  from  them,  and  the  desired 
peace  appear  again  for  us  all.  Farewell. 

GOETHE. 
WEIMAR,  the  24th  Dec.,  1792. 

99.  Frau  Rath  to  her  Grandchildren. 

The  last  day  in  the  year,  1792. 
DEAR  GRANDCHILDREN  :  This  letter  is  to  you  all. 
Time  would  fail  me  to  answer  singly  each  one  of  your 
dear  letters,  and  you  would  have  to  wait  long  for  my 
thanks  for  the  joy  you  have  caused  me  by  your  dear 
and  affectionate  letters.  Dear  children,  the  Christ- 
mas present  cannot  possibly  have  caused  you  more 
joy  than  your  letters  gave  me.  Say  yourselves, 
what  could  be  to  me  more  comforting  and  refreshing 
than  to  have  grandchildren  who  conduct  themselves 
toward  me  so  gratefully,  who  remember  me  with  so 
much  love,  who  in  spite  of  the  distance  between  us 
so  warmly  love  and  honor  me.  Dear  grandchildren, 
give  me  as  much  joy  in  the  coming  year  as  in  that 
which  is  approaching  its  end.  Keep  me  in  good  re- 
membrance. In  this  year  too,  as  you  grow  in  age, 
gro\v  also  more  and  more  in  everything  which  may 
rejoice  your  dear  parents,  me,  and  all  good  people. 
Thus  God  will  bless  you,  and  all  who  know  you  will 
love  and  cherish  you,  and  especially  she  who  con- 
stantly was,  is,  and  remains, 

Your  heartily  loving  grandmother, 

ELISABETH  GOETHE. 


Frau  Rath  to   Unzelmann.  199 

100.  Frau  RatJi  to   Unzelmann. 

The  22d  January,  1793. 

ESTEEMED  HERR  GEVATTER  :  My  friend  and  I 
thank  you  for  the  pretty  New  Year's  remembrance  ; 
only  we  would  have  wished  to  learn  somewhat  more 
about  your  health  and  welfare.  As  we  are  con- 
vinced that  you  are  now  in  the  most  fortunate  pe- 
riod of  your  life,  may  this  year  increase  further  (if  it 
be  possible)  your  happiness  :  this  is  the  most  sin- 
cere wish  of  us  both.  You  will  know  our  situation 
from  the  newspapers.*  The  Prussians  and  Hes- 
sians are  in  winter-quarters  here.  His  Majesty  of 
Prussia  is  in  the  best  of  health.  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  his  Highness  every  day  at  the  play,  as  my 
box  is  directly  opposite  him.  .  .  .  Our  theatre 
has  lived  to  see  good  times — the  coronation  ;  now 
the  many  princes,  generals,  officers,  and,  above  all, 
the  King  of  Prussia.  .  .  .  Farewell,  and  be 
happy.  This  will  ever  rejoice 

Your  Gevaterin,  E.  G. 


There  are  no  further  letters  to  Unzelmann  of  any 
interest  in  Dr.  Dorow's  "  Reminiscenzen."  The 
Unzelmanns  continued  their  successful  career  in  Ber- 
lin, and  Madame  Unzelmann  shone  in  the  brilliant 
circle  which  a  few  years  later  gathered  about 
Rahel.  In  "  Rahel  Levin  and  her  Society  Toward 

*  The  advance  of  the  Prussians  had  made  it  impossible  for 
Custine  to  remain  in  an  open  town  like  Frankfort,  and  he  had 
fallen  back  upon  the  fortified  post  of  Mainz. 


2OO  Goethes  Mother. 

the    End    of    the   Year    1801,    from   the   Papers   of 
Count  S — ,"*  we  find  the  following  : 

"  The  door  opened,  and  a  rapidly  moving, 
most  engaging  lady  burst  in,  pushed  on  to  Mile. 
Levin  with  a  merry  laugh,  and  rather  fell  into  than 
seated  herself  on  the  chair  beside  her.  All  greeted 
her  with  joy. 

'  But  how  is  this  ?  '  began  Mile.  Levin  ;  '  is  not 
to-day  "  Maria  Stuart"  ?  and  I  believe  you  are — 

'Yes,  believe  as  much  as  you  like,'  put  in  the 
charming,  sprightly  woman.  '  Mortimer  is  ill,  and 
so  Iffland  brings  forward  in  all  haste  another  piece,  in 
which  I  have  nothing  to  do  ;  I  avail  myself  of  it,  and 
come  to  you,  and  if  you  want  me  I  am  going  to  stay 
the  whole  evening.' 

'  Capital  !  '  cried  out  Mile.  Levin,  '  and  how  you 
hit  it  !  You  find  here  at  once  two  of  your  adorers, 
Schlegel  and  my  brother. ' 

"  '  It  is  the  Unzelmann  ! '  had  Brinckmann  f  already 
whispered  to  me.  She  had  not  been  long  returned 
from  Weimar,  where  she  had  had  great  success,  and 
had  often  talked  with  Goethe,  by  whom  she  was  so 
fascinated  that  she  now  wanted  to  force  his  Iphigenia 
on  to  the  stage,  for  her  benefit-night,  in  spite  of 
Iffland's  secret  dislike  to  it.  Brinckmann  was  too  im- 
patient to  give  me  further  explanations,  and  sprang 
eagerly  forward  to  present  himself  as  the  true  adorer 
of  the  lady,  when  Schlegel  unexpectedly  stepped 
before  him,  and  excused  himself  to  her  somewhat 
solemnly  and  with  embarrassment,  but  yet  with 


*  Varnhagen  von  Ense,  Vermischte  Schriften,  vol.  viii. 
\  A  Swedish  diplomat  and  poet. 


"  Rahel  Levin  and  her  Society'.'        201 

boldness  :  '  it  was  more  properly  his  brother  Wilhelm 
who  could  be  called  her  adorer,  and  who  had  sung 
of  her  as  the  fairy-child. '  I  grew  very  warm  ;  such 
German,  blundering  awkwardness  had  never  before 
come  under  my  notice.  But  the  sprightly  lady  re- 
plied laughingly,  '  I  know  all  this  very  well,  and  dis- 
tinguish very  clearly  between  the  dissimilar  brothers. 
Yet  if  I  demand  of  you,  dear  Schlegel,  no  more  than 
of  your  brother,  you  can,  in  God's  name,  undertake 
his  part,  for  a  short  evening,  without  danger  !  But, 
dear  little  one,'*  she  continued,  'where  have  you 
your  wits  to-day,  that  you  consign  me  to  such  peo- 
ple ?  For,  just  see,  your  brother,  too,  wishes  already 
to  excuse  himself.  No  need,  no  need,  dear  Robert ;  I 
know  that  you  are  in  love  with  a  certain  Louise  ;  you 
will  no  doubt  get  there  what  you  deserve  ;  only  take 
care  that  when  the  fire  suddenly  goes  out  for  want  of 
fuel,  you  are  not  left  standing  helpless  in  the  dark.' 

"  Brinckmann  thought  now  to  have  gained  an 
opportunity  for  himself,  and  endeavored  most  eagerly 
to  improve  it.  He  addressed  his  conversation  now  to 
Mile.  Levin,  now  to  Mme.  Unzelmann,  now  to  both 
at  once.  He  spoke  with  remarkable  readiness,  wove 
together  seriousness  and  sport,  and  jested  good- 
humoredly  ;  only,  in  everything  he  said  he  appeared 
to  me  a  little  too  loquacious.  This  he  seemed  him- 
self to  feel,  and  yet  became  ever  the  more  talk- 
ative. Mile.  Levin  appeared  resigned  to  listen  to 
him.  I  listened  at  the  same  time,  while  Mme. 
Unzelmann  carried  on  a  conversation  half  aloud  with 
Schlegel.  .  . 

*  Liebe  Kleine,  i.e.,  Rahel. 


2O2  Goethes  Mother. 

"  Here  Schlegel  interrupted  us,  complaining  that 
Madame  Unzelmann  had  no  conception  whatever  of 
art.  '  I  have  utterly  failed  with  her,'  he  said,  '  in 
my  remarks  upon  her  most  important  characters  : 
she  did  not  understand  me  in  the  least,  and  gave  me 
the  most  stupid  replies.  She  is  not  capable  of  giving 
the  slightest  account  of  a  single  one  of  her  charac- 
ters.' Schack,  happening  to  draw  near,  had  caught 
this  last  remark,  and  replied  to  it  at  once.  '  You 
gentlemen  critics  demand  too  much  !  Madame 
Unzelmann  knows  it  all  in  her  way  ;  she  acts  it  and 
brings  it  bodily  before  your  eyes,  and  you  yourselves 
wonder  at  her  in  it  ;  why  must  she  now  give  the 
same  thing  in  your  way  also  ?  To  demand  of  the  fas- 
cinating woman  that  she  should — pshaw  !  reason  as 
you  do,  is  precisely  the  sarne  as  to  ask  of  you  that 
you  should  act  as  she  does — ah,  but  that  would  be 
beautiful,  and  we  should  not  cry  pshaw  !  ' 

'  Good,  good,  dear  Schack,'  cried  a  voice  behind 
him  :  it  was  Mile.  Levin,  who  had  risen  up  and 
been  attracted  by  our  animated  private  discussion. 
Schack,  like  one  caught,  was  for  a  moment  confused, 
but  only  for  a  moment,  and  then  briskly  asked, 
4  Have  I  reported  it  well,  kluge  Kleine  (wise  little 
one)?  Well,  I  had  not  far  to  carry  it ;  for,  gentle- 
men, what  I  have  just  said  I  had  heard  an  instant 
before  from  our  wise  little  friend,  and  I  wanted  to 
see  at  once  how  serviceable  it  might  be,  and  whether 
you  could  say  anything  in  reply  to  it.'  ' 

101.  August,  Prince  of  Saxe-GotJia,  to  Frau  Rath. 

MADAM  :  Your  kind  and  very  flattering  lines  I  re- 
ceived a  few  hours  since  with  the  most  grateful  feel- 


Frau  Rath  to  Lout'sa  Schlosser.       203 

ings  ;  and  I  esteem  myself  fortunate,  through  the 
taking  of  Mainz,*  to  be  brought  into  communication 
with  the  mother  of  such  a  friend.  No  news  in  the 
world  could  have  so  heartily  rejoiced  me  as  the  man- 
ner itself  in  which  I  learned  the  present.  May,  also, 
the  purport  of  these  news  bring  us  nearer  a  more 
peaceful  goal  !  This  is,  at  present,  the  warmest  wish 
I  can  allow  myself,  since  the  war-troubles  detain  me 
so  far  from  Frankfort,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  de- 
prive me  of  all  hope  of  having  the  honor  to  present 
in  person  my  thanks,  Madam,  to  you, whose  merits  are 
long  since  known  to  me.  For  this  pleasure  I  shall 
very  soon  give,  by  letter,  a  double  and  triple  em- 
brace to  your  son,  to  whom  for  many  years  my  whole 
heart  has  so  tenderly  and  truly  clung.  I  have  the 
honor  to  be,  with  the  most  distinguished  regard  and 
respect,  Madam,  your  most  devoted 

AUGUST,  P.  z.  Sachsen-Gotha. 
GOTHA,  the  25th  July,  1793. 

1 02.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Schlosser. 

The  24th  March,  1794. 

DEAR  LOUISA  :  Thou  seest  now  how  God,  even 
here,  rewards  good  children.  Is  not  thy  marriage  f 
almost  a  wonder-work  ?  And  that  everything  should 
so  dispose  itself  that  now  thy  dear  parents  and 
brother  and  sisters  go  with  thee,^:  that  would  not 

*  Retaken  by  the  Prussians  from  the  French. 

f  Louisa  Schlosser  was  betrothed  in  the  spring  of  1794  to  G.  H. 
L.  Nicolovius,  who  resided  in  Holstein. 

\  In  consequence  of  the  war  Schlosser  moved  with  his  family 
to  Holstein. 


2O4  Goethe  s  Mother. 

have  so  easily  happened  had  not  war  come  into  the 
country.  Mark  this  for  thy  whole  life  :  the  God  who 
can  of  stones  raise  up  children  unto  Abraham  can 
turn  everything,  which  we  with  our  dim  eyes  regard 
as  misfortune,  to  our  good.  Now,  dear  Louisa,  thou, 
the  only  one  *  remaining  to  me  from  a  precious  and 
ever-loved  daughter,  God  bless  thee  !  Be  the  faith- 
ful companion  of  thy  future  excellent  husband  ; 
make  his  life  to  him  as  joyous  and  happy  as  is  in  thy 
power.  Be  a  good  wife  and  a  German  housewife  ; 
thus  will  nothing  be  able  to  disturb  thy  inward  peace, 
the  quiet  of  thy  soul.  Hold,  also,  thy  grandmother 
dear  in  the  greater  distance.  My  blessing  accompany 
thee  whereever  thou  art,  and  I  am  always 
Thy  faithful  grandmother, 

GOETHE. 


103.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Schlosser. 

The  2Oth  September,  1794. 

DEAR  LOUISA  :  This  time  a  few  lines  to  thee,  dear 
little  maiden.  I  cannot  sufficiently  tell  thee  how 
much  thy  industry,  thy  mindfulness  of  me  has  re- 
joiced me.  My  hearty  thanks  for  the  beautiful  warm 
stockings  ;  they  will  certainly  be  of  advantage  to  me  ; 
such  things  help  me  more  than  the  whole  apothe- 
cary's shop,  with  all  its  jars  and  boxes  ;  they  have 
also  turned  out  so  well,  for  I  tried  them  on  at  once. 

1  send  thee,  herewith,  a  little  present  in  return.     Be 
content  with  grandmother's  good-will.     I  send  also 

2  Ib.  chocolate  ;  the  other  20  Ib.  shall  soon  follow  by 

*  Julia  had  died  in  the  preceding  year. 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  205 

the  carrier.  Greet  thy  dear  father,  and  thank  him 
for  the  receipts  sent.  Now  all  is  as  I  wished  it,  in 
the  finest  order,  only  my  house  is  untidy  and  in  dis- 
order,* which  is  very  disagreeable  to  one  accustomed 
to  the  contrary.  God  grant  peace  soon,  that  one  may 
enjoy  again  tranquillity  in  one's  possessions.  Amen. 
To-day  I  have  many  and  various  things  to  do  ; 
therefore  only  so  much  for  this  time.  Greet  thy 
dear  mother,  Henrietta,  Edward,  and  Aunt  Bogner, 
from 

Thy  faithful  grandmother, 

GOETHE. 


104.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  24th  Sept.,  1/95. 

DEAR  SON  :  Herewith  come  the  Jews'  wares.  I 
wish  thee  much  pleasure  in  them.  My  congratula- 
tions, also,  on  account  of  the  future  citizen  of  the 
world  ;  only  it  vexes  me  that  I  cannot  announce  my 
grandchild  in  the  newspaper,  and  hold  open  festival. 
But  as  there  is  nothing  perfect  to  be  found  under 
the  moon,  I  console  myself  with  this,  that  my 
Haschelhans  f  is  contented  and  happier  than  in  an 
unlucky  marriage.  Kiss  for  me  the  little  Augustus, 
and  tell  him  that  the  Christ-child  shall  bring  him 
pretty  things  from  grandmother.  .  .  . 

*  All  the  movables  had  been  packed  up  and  sent  off,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  general  alarm  about  the  war.  The  allied  forces 
were  constantly  being  driven  back  by  the  French,  who,  in  fact,  a 
month  later  occupied  the  whole  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  with  the 
exception  of  Luxembourg  and  Mainz. 

f  See  Letter  No.  20,  note  2. 


206  Goethes  Mother. 

Here  all  is,  anew,  in  great  commotion.  The  Im- 
perialists are  retiring,  the  French  will  soon  be  with 
us  again.  True,  those  Prussians  who  are  still  here 
comfort  us,  and  say  the  French  will  only  pass 
through,  and  under  their  protection  we  have  noth- 
ing to  fear.  But  we  must  await  results.  I  am  cheer- 
ful and  of  good  courage,  and  have  not  allowed  a 
single  gray  hair  to  grow  about  the  whole  war.  I  see 
from  my  window  the  Austrians  carrying  away  their 
sick  in  wagons,  look  on  at  the  bustle,  dine  by  the 
open  window,  look  after  my  small  housekeeping  ;  * 
evenings  at  the  play,  let  the  tragedy  pass  before  me, 
and  sing,  "  Life  let  us  cherish  while  yet  the  taper 
glows." 

For  the  moment  I  do  not  do  much  work,  and  who- 
ever now  gets  a  letter  from  me  may  boast  of.it  ;  the 
weather  is  too  fine,  my  outlook  too  excellent.  Wert 
thou  not  Wolfgang,  thou  wouldest  have  had  to  wait. 
I  wish  thou  wert  here  for  an  instant.  I  could  hardly 
continue  to  write  for  the  noise.  The  whole  Ross- 
markt  is  full  of  peasants'  wagons,  which  have 
brought  hay  and  straw  to  market  ;  the  guard- 
parade  of  the  Prussians  is  to  march  out,  and  on  the 
great  square  there  is  no  room  ;  the  peasants  get  a 
cudgelling,  and  so  on  ;  from  the  Bockenheimer  gate 
wagons  are  coming  in  with  beds  ;  the  people  of  Mainz 
are  in  flight — enough  :  there  is  a  hue  and  cry  very 
strange  to  hear.  An  answer  has  just  come  from 
Herr  Koppel  that  he  is  expecting  Burgundy  wine  ;  as 

*  The  Frau  Rath,  owing  to  her  loneliness  and  the  alarms  of 
war,  had  sold,  in  May  of  this  year,  the  large  house  in  the  Hirsch- 
graben,  where  the  poet  was  born,  and  now  occupied  hired  apart- 
ments on  the  Rossmarkt.  Here  she  passed  the  rest  of  her  life. 


Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Nicolovius.      207 

soon  as  it  comes  he  will  send  samples.     Farewell  ; 
greet  all  dear  to  thee. 

From  thy  faithful  mother,  GOETHE. 

P.S.   With    longing     and  *  anticipations   of    great 
pleasure  I  am  awaiting  the  continuation  of  Wilhelm. 


It  will  be  seen  that  the  Frau  Rath  called  all  her 
philosophy  to  her  aid  in  regard  to  Goethe's  relation 
to  Christiane  Vulpius,  whom  he  afterward  married. 
To  her,  who  was  so  fond  of  her  daughter's  children, 
it  must  have  indeed  been  a  cross  not  to  be  able  to 
hold  open  festival  over  those  of  her  son. 

105.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Nicolovius. 

The  3Oth  Jauuary,  1796. 

DEAR,  GOOD  LOUISA,  AND  EXCELLENT  HOUSE- 
WIFE :  Here  comes  the  great-grandmother's  work. 
A  thousand  to  one  I  am  the  first  great -grandmother 
who  has  woven  the  lace  for  her  great-grandchild's 
baby-clothes  ;  and  in  this  case,  as  inspection  shows, 
not  mere  lirum-larum,  but  a  very  handsome  Brabant 
pattern.  How  beautiful  the  little  creature  will  look 
in  it  !  Before  thou  gettest  it  I  shall  write  again  to 
thee  and  thy  excellent  husband,  whom  I  am  proud 
of  as  a  grandson.  For  the  present,  farewell.  For 
now  the  rarity  must  be  packed  and  speedily  sent  off, 
that  the  great-grandchild  may  not  arrive  before  the 
things.  Greet  thy  dear  husband. 

From  thy  faithful  grandmother 

GOETHE. 

To  Frau  Louise  Nicolovius. 


208  Goethes  Mother. 


106.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Nicolovius  and  Husband. 

The  1st  February,  1796. 

DEAR  CHILDREN  :  Your  letters,  which  were  so 
grateful  to  my  motherly  heart,  and  gave  me  so  much 
pleasure,  I  should  have  answered  at  once  by  return 
post,  if  the  little  being  who  is  still  invisible  had  not 
prevented  me.  Yes,  dear  children,  my  great-grand- 
motherly work  was  the  cause  of  the  delay.  I  was 
anxious  and  uneasy  whenever  it  occurred  to  me  that 
the  great-grandchild  might  arrive  before  my  rarity  ; 
everything  had  to  stand  still  and  wait,  and  so  on. 
But  now  I  draw  breath  !  The  little  package  has  been 
sent  off — whither  ?  That  you  can  read  on  the  inclosed 
slip  of  paper.  God  grant  our  Louisa  a  happy  and 
fortunate  confinement  ;  that  shall  and  will  be  for  us 
all  a  day  of  joy  and  rejoicing.  Amen.  My  sil- 
houette you  shall  have,  but  you  must  still  have  pa- 
tience, for  the  man  who  is  a  master  in  that  art  is 
away  ;  as  soon  as  he  returns  it  shall  be  made,  and 
take  among  you  the  place  you  have  so  kindly  and 
laudably  designated  for  it.  That  my  former  friends 
and  acquaintances  still  remember  me  with  love  is 
grateful  to  my  heart,  and  takes  me  back  again  to  the 
blissful  days  of  former  times,  when  I  was  so  happy 
in  the  society  of  those  noble  and  worthy  men,* 
when  I  saw  and  heard  so  much  that  was  good,  en- 
joyed so  much  food  for  heart  and  soul.  Never,  no, 
never,  shall  I  forget  that  glorious  time  !  Now  that 

*  These  were  the  Stolbergs  and  Jacob  is,  near  whom  her  grand- 
children were  residing  in  Holstein. 


Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  and  Husband.      209 

you,  my  dear  children,  have  the  good  fortune  to  live 
among  these  excellent  men,  remember  me  some- 
times ;  it  will  be  a  joy  and  great  delight  to  me  in  my 
loneliness,  and  in  the  great  distance  from  you  all, 
not  to  be  entirely  effaced  from  the  memory  of  these 
never-to-be-forgotten  friends.  My  dear  son  Schlos- 
ser,  with  wife  and  children,  is  coming  to  me  in  the 
spring  ;  the  coming  will  be  to  me  joyful  and  pleas- 
ant ;  but  the  parting  !  When  I  think  that  in  all  prob- 
ability it  will  be  the  last  time  that  Frau  Aja  will 
enjoy  this  pleasure,  that  the  great  distance  makes 
correspondence  and  all  else  difficult,  I  have  but  one 
consolation,  which  I  must,  indeed,  hold  on  to  with 
both  hands  that  it  may  not  escape  me — namely,  that 
you  all  together  *  will  then  make  one  of  the  hap- 
piest families,  and  that  I  must,  in  the  peculiar  dispo- 
sition and  guidance  of  all  your  fortunes,  recognize, 
feel,  and  with  heart-felt  emotion  acknowledge,  and 
say,  This  is  the  finger  of  God.  Now  this  same  God, 
who  thus  far  has  shown  us  so  much  goodness,  He 
will  not  let  us  lack  for  any  good  in  this  year ;  also, 
may  He  bless  you  and  keep  you  cheerful  and  joyous, 
grant  our  Louisa  a  happy  sight  of  her  first-born, 
and  may  she  feel  all  a  mother's  joys.  To  the  dear 
great-grandchild  may  He  grant  health,  vigor,  and 
strength  for  his  entrance  into  life  ;  this  will  He  do. 
Amen.  Farewell,  and  hold  dear 

Your  heartily  affectionate  grandmother, 

GOETHE. 


*  Schlosser,  with  his  family,  was  going  to  join  his  daughter  in 
Holstein. 


210  Goethe's  Mother. 

107.  Frau  Rath  to  Louisa  Nicolovius  and  Husband. 

The  5th  April,  1796. 

Now  all  thank  God,  with  heart,  mouth,  and  hands, 
who  doeth  great  things.  Yes,  indeed,  to  you,  to  me, 
to  us  all  has  He,  anew,  manifested  himself  as  He 
who  is  good,  and  whose  goodness  endureth  forever. 
Blessed  be  His  Holy  name.  Amen.  Dear  children, 
God  bless  you  in  your  new  relation!  The  name  of 
father  and  mother  is  honorable.  Oh,  what  joys 
await  you  ;  and  fortunate  little  boy,  to  enjoy  being 
brought  up  by  such  excellent  parents  and  grand- 
parents !  How  carefully,  my  little  darling,  wilt  thou 
be  cherished  in  body  and  soul  ;  how  early  will  good 
seed  be  sown  in  thy  heart  ;  how  soon  everything  be 
rooted  out  which  might  mar  the  beautiful  image  of 
God  which  thou  bearest  in  thee !  Thou  wilt  in- 
crease in  stature,  wisdom,  and  favor  with  God  and 
man.  Thy  great-grandmother  can  contribute  nothing 
to  all  this  good  ;  the  distance  is  too  great.  Be  glad, 
dear  John  George  Edward,  the  great-grandmother 
cannot  bring  up  children  ;  is  not  at  all  suited  to  it- 
does  everything  they  wish  when  they  laugh  and  are 
friendly,  and  whips  them  when  they  cry  or  make  wry 
faces,  without  examining  into  the  reason  why  they 
laugh,  why  they  cry  ;  but  I  will  love  thee,  heartily 
rejoice  in  thee,  remember  thee  much  and  often  be- 
fore God,  give  thee  my  great-grandmotherly  bless- 
ing— yes,  this  I  can  and  will  do.  Now  I  have 
plainly  told  the  young  citizen  of  the  world  what  he 
has  to  expect  from  me  :  next,  a  few  words  with  you, 
my  dear  grown  children.  My  best  thanks  for  your  so 
dear  and  precious  letters  ;  they  are  always  grateful  to 


Frau  Rath  to  Loiiisa  and  Husband.     2 1 1 

my  heart,  and  make  me  extremely  happy,  especially 
the  news  that  the  little  package  had  come  safely 
(for  I  had  great  anxiety  about  it)  rejoiced  me  very 
much  ;  for  only  think  !  if  the  great-grandmother's 
work,  over  which  the  good  matron  had  so  many  a 
long  day  sat  and  woven,  should  have  been  lost  or 
arrived  too  late,  that  would  have  been  no  joke  to 
me  ;  but  as  it  was  just  in  good  time,  four  days  (for 
I  looked  at  once  in  the  almanac)  before  the  little 
boy  arrived,  that  was  charming.  The  little  fellow 
has  so  turned  my  head  for  clear  joy  that  the  proper 
congratulations,  which,  indeed,  in  the  regular  order 
ought  to  stand  at  the  beginning,  come  now  at  the 
end  ;  but  they  mean  just  as  much,  and  come  just  the 
same  from  the  heart.  God  grant  you  to  live  to  ex- 
perience in  your  child  joy  and  delight  in  large 
measure :  May  he  be  also  your  support  in  your 
old  age  ;  may  he  be  to  you  what  you  are  to  your 
parents  and  grandmother  :  this  is  the  best  wish — I  do 
not  know  a  better.  Dear  Frau  Gevatterin  (the 
title  makes  me  great  sport),  when  this  comes  to  your 
hands  you  will  be  again  brisk  and  active  ;  but,  hear 
me,  do  not  be  too  much  so  ;  do  not  go  out  too  soon 
into  the  April  air,  for  it  has  its  caprices,  like  old 
Gertrude  in  the  Wansbeckcr  Bate*  Stay  quietly  in 
your  room  until  May  comes,  that  no  catarrh  or  cough 
may  plague  you.  Now  I  hope  you  will  accept  good 
counsel.  Well,  dear  Herr  Gevatter,  a  thousand 

*  The  Wandsbecktr  Messenger,  a  half-humorous  paper  for  the 
people,  published  by  Mathias  Claudius  at  Wandsbeck,  near  Ham- 
burg. Claudius  was  very  successful  in  songs  for  the  people 
(Volkslieder) ;  the  one  most  widely  known  is  the  Rheinweinlied, 
beginning,  "  Bekranzt  mil  Laub  den  lieben  vollen  Becher." 


212  Goethes  Mother. 

thanks  once  more  for  all  your  love,  for  your  nice 
letters  (with  Louisa's  inclosed),  for  the  good,  heart- 
rejoicing  news,  for  the  relation  of  godmother,  for  all 
that  is  dear  and  good,  with  which  you  have  so  many 
times  delighted  my  heart.  God  reward  you  for  it. 
Hold  me  dear  ;  you  live  and  flourish  in  the  heart  of 
her  v/ho  is,  and  remains, 

Your  faithful  grandmother  and  great-grandmother 

GOETHE. 

P.S.  My  best  thanks  to  the  excellent  Countess 
Stolberg,  and  no  less  to  dear  Aunt  Jacobi,  for  their 
love  and  friendship  toward  my  Louisa.  God  bless 
them  for  it.  I  sent  the  letter  to  Charlotte  at  once. 
Heavens  !  how  she  will  cry  for  joy  !  She  is  a  kind- 
hearted  but  singular  creature  ;  she  cries  for  joy,  she 
cries  for  grief  ;  when  it  rains  and  when  the  sun 
shines  ;  ruins  her  eyes  quite  unnecessarily,  and  makes 
no  lace  for  the  great-grandchild. 


The  above  is  the  last  letter  in  the  collection  of  the 
Frau  Rath's  letters  to  her  grandchildren. 

In  1797  her  son-in-law  Schlosser  was  offered  by 
the  magistracy  of  Frankfort  the  position  of  syndic. 
There  was  a  provision  in  the  Frankfort  constitution 
which  forbade  that  more  than  one  member  of  a  fam- 
ily should  occupy  a  place  in  its  councils.  Schlosser 
had  been,  heretofore,  ineligible  in  consequence  of  the 
presence  of  his  elder  brother  in  the  magistracy  ;  but 
on  the  death  of  his  brother  he  was  invited  to 
Frankfort  in  the  most  honorable  manner,  the  usual 
balloting  being  omitted  by  an  imperial  dispensation, 


Schlossers  Death.  213 

granted  at  the  unanimous  request  of  the  Frankfort 
Council.  This  honor  he  did  not  long  live  to  enjoy. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1799,  Goethe  -writes  to 
Schiller  :  "  From  Frankfort  I  receive  the  intelligence 
that  Schlosser  is  dead.  The  French  and  his  garden  * 
are  the  immediate  causes  of  his  death.  He  was  in  his 
garden  as  the  former  approached  Frankfort  ;  he  got 
belated,  and  found  the  nearest  gate  already  closed  ; 
was  obliged  to  hasten  on  to  the  next  one,  which  was 
far  distant,  came  home  to  a  very  warm  room,  was 
from  there  sent  for  to  the  Council-house,  and,  in  the 
sequel,  fell  into  a  fever,  which  proved  fatal,  and 
carried  him  off  in  a  short  time." 

In  consequence  of  Schlosser's  death,  his  son-in- 
law,  Nicolovius,  found  it  necessary  to  visit  Frankfort 
on  family  affairs.  He  came  accordingly  with  his 
family,  in  the  spring  of  1800,  at  which  time  the  Frau 
Rath  had  the  pleasure  of  welcoming  the  great-grand- 
son whose  birth  she  had  so  warmly  greeted.  Nico- 
lovius writes,  on  the  24th  of  May,  1800,  "  The  grand- 
mother, whose  overflowing  well  of  life  is  a  true  com- 
fort to  me,  has  given  us  a  little  family  feast,  and 
yesterday,  what  is  unheard  of  with  her,  a  more  for- 
mal dinner,  to  which  excellent  Niersteinerf  lent  its 
fragrance.  Her  manner,  her  very  decided  character 
in  society,  her  singularity,  her  effervescent  flow  of 
spirits,  all  carry  one  away,  and  allow  neither  leisure 
nor  coolness  for  judging.  .  .  .  We  cannot  suffi- 
ciently praise  her  friendliness.  Her  age  jf.  is  percep- 
tible neither  in  her  mind  nor  body.  May  her  favorite 

*  A  garden  outside  of  the  town,  such  as  it  was  customary  for 
well-to-do  Frankforters  to  have.     The  Goethes  had  also  one. 
f  A  Rhine  wine.  \  In  her  seventieth  year. 


214  Goethes  Mother. 

saying,  '  Erfahrung  macht  Hoffnung, '  *  be  ours  also. 
Where  she  appears,  spring  forth  life  and  joy.  She 
receives  us  indeed  brilliantly,  to  the  astonishment  of 
all ;  f  and  yesterday,  as  our  little  Edward  ^  was  with 
her  in  her  box,  and  was  swallowing  the  play  with 
insatiable  interest,  she  grew  so  great-grandmotherly 
proud  that  she  trumpeted  forth  the  great-grandson 
right  and  left,  and  I  wager  that  there  are  now  few 
persons  of  name  in  the  city  who  have  not  heard 
Edward's  praise  from  her  lips,  and  know  that  the  lit- 
tle fellow  has  from  her  a  passion  for  the  play  in  his 
blood."  § 

1 08.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  1st  August,  1796. 

Our  present  situation  is  in  every  respect  very  un- 
pleasant and  critical.  Yet,  to  worry  myself  before 
the  time,  or  perhaps  lose  heart,  was  never  my  way. 
To  trust  in  God,  to  use  the  present  moment,  not  to 
lose  one's  head,  to  guard  one's  worthy  self  from  ill- 
ness (for  anything  like  that  would  now  come  at  a 
very  inopportune  moment) — as  this  course  has  always 
heretofore  turned  out  well  for  me,  I  intend  to  per- 
sist in  it. 


On  the  1 2th  and  I3th  July,  1796,  the  French  bom- 
barded Frankfort,  which  the  Austrians  were  endeav- 
oring to  hold.  "  My  good  mother,"  Goethe  writes 

*  Experience  worketh  hope.     Romans,  5  :  4. 
f  The  Frau  Rath,  since  the  sale  of  her  house,  had  lived  very 
quietly. 

\  Then  about  four  years  old. 

§  A.  Nicolovius,  Denkschrift  auf  G.  H.  L.  Nicolovius. 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  215 

in  his  diary,  "  in  her  handsome  new  apartments  near 
the  guard-house,  has  directly  before  her  eyes,  look- 
ing up  the  Zeil,*  the  threatened  and  damaged  por- 
tion of  the  city.  She  places  her  effects  for  safe-keep- 
ing in  the  fire-proof  cellar,  and  flies  over  the  bridge, 
which  had  been  left  open,  to  Offenbach.  Her  letter 
about  it  would  be  well  worth  adding  here." 

This  letter  has  never  been  given  to  the  public. 
Schiller  saw  it,  and  wrote  :  "  Our  best  thanks  for 
your  mother's  letter.  Besides  the  historical  value  of 
its  contents,  we  were  interested  in  the  naivete  of  her 
own  peculiar  style." 

109.  Frau  Ratk  to  Goethe. 

The  4th  Dec.,  1797. 

The  first  thing  is  to  thank  thee  that  thou  hast 
given  me  a  few  weeks  of  this  summer,  during  which 
I  have  so  greatly  rejoiced  in  thy  society,  and  taken 
delight  in  thy  remarkably  good  air  and  appearance. 
Further,  that  thou  hast  made  me  acquainted  with 
thy  loved  ones,  which  also  gave  me  great  pleasure. 
God  keep  you  all,  as  heretofore,  and  to  Him  shall  be 
offered  praise  and  thanks  therefor.  Amen.  In  one 
respect  I  am  sorry  that  thou  didst  not  visit  me  again 
on  the  return  journey. 

no.  Frau  Rat/t  to  Goethe. 

The  1 2th  March,  1798. 

A  word  only  in  regard  to  our  conversation  during 
thy  stay  here  about  the  Latin  letters.f  The  injury 

*  The  chief  street  of  Frankfort. 

f  i.e.,  about  a  proposition  to  substitute  in  printing  the  Latin 
characters  for  the  German  ones. 


216  Goethe  s  Mother. 

they  will  do  mankind  I  will  make  palpably  plain  to 
thee.  They  are  like  a  pleasure-garden  belonging  to 
the  aristocracy,  which  no  one  may  enter  but  the  no- 
bility and  people  with  stars  and  orders  ;  our  German 
letters  are  like  the  Prater  at  Vienna,  over  which  the 
Emperor  Joseph  had  written,  For  All.  Had  thy 
writings  been  printed  with  these  odious  aristocrats, 
they  would  not,  with  all  their  excellence,  have  be- 
come so  universal.  Tailors,  seamstresses,  maid-ser- 
vants, all  read  them  ;  each  finds  something  adapted 
to  his  feelings,  and  thus  they  walk  in  the  Prater  pell- 
mell  with  the  Literary  Gazette.  Doctor  Hufnagel 
and  others  enjoy  themselves,  bless  the  author,  and 
hurrah  for  him  !  How  wrong  Hufeland  has  done  to 
have  his  excellent  book  printed  in  letters  of  no  ser- 
vice to  the  greater  portion  of  mankind.  Are  only  peo- 
ple of  position  to  be  enlightened  ?  Shall  the  lowly  be 
shut  out  from  everything  good  ?  And  this  they  will  be, 
if  a  check  be  not  put  to  these  new-fashioned  grim- 
aces. From  thee,  my  dear  son,  I  hope  I  may  never 
come  to  see  any  production  so  adverse  to  the  inter- 
ests of  mankind. 


At  the  present  day  the  Germans  are  taught  to 
read  with  facility  either  form  of  printing. 

in.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  2Oth  July,  1799. 

The  news  that  you  all  are  well  rejoiced  me  hearti- 
ly. According  to  what  my  daughter  writes  me,  there 
was  rather  a  strong  excitement  in  your  household  on 


Frau  Rath  to   Goelhc.  2  I  7 

account  of  the  presence  of  his  Royal  Majesty.* 
The  Frankforters  have  also  done  everything  possible 
to  entertain  their  old  acquaintance.  He  received  and 
accepted  it  in  a  very  friendly  manner.  An  honor  has 
befallen  me  which  I  did  not  expect — the  Queen  in- 
vited me,  through  her  brother,  to  come  to  her.  The 
Prince  came  to  dine  with  me,  and  ate  at  my  little 
table.  At  6  o'clock  he  came  to  take  me  to  the  Taxis 
Palace  in  a  carriage  with  2  footmen  behind.  The 
Queen  conversed  with  me  of  old  times — still  remem- 
bered her  great  enjoyment  in  my  former  house,  the 
good  pancakes,  and  so  on. 

112.  Frail  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  ist  Dec.,  1799. 

DEAR  SON  :  Since  the  return  of  Mamma  La  Roche 
I  really  feel  for  the  first  time  how  thou,  out  of  love 
to  me,  hast  made  shift  with  my  little  dwelling.  Ah, 
what  a  splendid  description  she  has  given  me  and  all 
thy  friends  of  thy  house  and  thy  whole  establish- 
ment ! — the  delicious  dinner  thou  gavest  her,  the 
superb  green  satin  room,  the  magnificent  curtain,  the 
picture  that  was  behind  it — summa  summarum,  she 
entertained  me  an  entire  day  with  it.  What  a  day 
that  was  to  me  thou  canst  imagine  !  God  keep  and 
bless  thee,  and  let  it  be  well  with  thee,  and  long 
mayest  thou  live  on  earth  ;  and  thus  it  will  be,  for 
mothers'  blessings  build  houses  for  the  children. f 
Amen. 

*  The  King  of  Prussia. 

f  "  Der  Mutter  Sege  bauet  den  Kindern  HSuser."  "  The 
mother's  blessing  established  the  houses  of  the  children."  Eccle- 
siasticus  3  :  n. 


2i 8  Goethe's  Mother. 

113.  Frau  Rat '/i  to  Goethe. 

The  3 ist  January,  1801. 

DEAR  SON  :  Thank  my  dear  daughter  many  times 
for  her  dear  letter  of  the  22d  January.  Praise  and 
thanks  to  God  that  He  has  so  graciously  and  speedily 
turned  aside  from  thee  the  great  and  threatening 
danger.*  Ah,  what  an  admirable  thing  is  ignorance  ! 
Had  I  known  of  the  ill  which  had  overtaken  thee 
before  amendment  had  set  in,  I  believe  I  should  have 
died  of  distress. 

114.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  ist  October,  1802. 

DEAR  SON  :  My  best  thanks  for  the  readiness  to 
lend  a  helping  hand  to  Herr  Schoff  (Alderman)  Mel- 
lecher's  hobby.  I  am  always  pleased  when  thou 
canst  do  a  favor  to  a  Frankforter,  for  thou  art  and 
livest  still  among  us  ;  art  burgher,  sharest  all  with 
us,  standest  in  Varrentrap's  Calendar  among  the  ad- 
vocates— summa  summarum,  belongest  still  to  us, 
and  thy  compatriots  reckon  it  an  honor  to  be  able  to 
count  so  great  and  distinguished  a  man  among  their 
fellow-citizens.  Edward  Schlosser  has  brought  me 
thy  kind  greeting.  I  hope  he  will  turn  out  well. 
Fritz  Schlosser  also  ;  only  about  Christian  I  am  often 
anxious.  This  young  man  is  so  overstrained  f — 
thinks  he  knows  more  than  nearly  all  his  contempo- 
raries, has  wonderful  ideas,  etc.  Thou  hast  much 

*  Goethe's  ^evere  illness  at  the  end  of  the  year  1800. 
f  "  Ueberspannt,"  as  a  bow  overbent. 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  219 

influence  with  him  ;  if  thou  canst  unbend  him,  do  so.* 
That  you  intend  again  to  send  me  mental  produc- 
tions will  be  doing  a  good  work  ;  there  is  great  un- 
productiveness here,  and  your  spring,  which  has 
abundance  of  water,  will  be  grateful  to  my  thirst. 
For  thy  coming,  next  year,  I  have  plans  in  my 
head,  each  one  more  delightful  than  the  other  ;  it 
will  no  doubt  turn  out  well.  God  keep  us  all  in  good 
health,  and  the  rest  will  follow.  Farewell  !  Greet 
my  dear  daughter  and  dear  Augustus,  from 

Your  old  faithful  mother  and  grandmother 

GOETHE. 


Many  years  after  the  death  of  Goethe's  mother, 
Zelter  having  asked  to  see  one  of  her  letters,  Goethe 
sent  him  the  preceding  letter  (No.  1 14),  and  with  it 
wrote,  "  Herewith  I  inclose  one  of  my  mother's 
letters,  as  thou  desirest  ;  in  it,  as  in  every  line  she 
wrote,  speaks  out  the  character  of  a  woman  who  led 

*  "  The  three  Schlossers and  two  Vosses,"  Goethe  writes,  "make 
one  of  the  strangest  groups  of  young  people  that  has  ever  come  to 
my  knowledge.  The  youngest  son  of  Alderman  Schlosser  (Chris- 
tian) is  a  little  enrag<?  for  the  newest  philosophy  (the  teachings  of 
Kant),  and  with  so  much  soul,  heart,  and  mind  that  Schelling  and 
I  are  amazed  at  it.  His  elder  brother  (Fritz)  is  of  a  quiet,  sensible 
nature,  and  I  perceive  that  the  little  one  has  invited  him  to  Jena 
to  learn  the  saving  doctrine.  My  brother-in-law's  son  seems  not 
to  belie  his  father ;  he  appears  to  me  to  have  a  good,  straightfor- 
ward spirit,  and  pleasure  in  learning.  He  seems  no  little  sur- 
prised that  he  must  forswear  all  the  philosophy  that  has  been  in- 
stilled into  him,  to  which  his  little  cousin  will  probably  force  him 
at  last."  (Goethe  to  Jacobi,  2^d  Nov.,  1801.)  It  may  be  of  interest 
psychologically  to  add  that  the  little  cnragi!  later  on  went  over  to 
the  Romish  Church. 


22O  Goethes  Mother. 

a  strong,  hearty  life  in  the  Old  Testament  fear  of 
God,  and  full  of  trust  in  the  unchangeable  God  of 
the  people  and  the  family  ;  and  when  she  herself  an- 
nounced her  own  death,  gave  orders  for  her  funeral 
with  such  accuracy  that  the  kind  of  wine  and  the  size 
of  the  cracknels  for  the  refreshment  of  the  attend- 
ants were  precisely  determined."  (Goethe  to  Zelter, 
9th  Jan.,  1824.) 

115.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  1 3th  January,  1804. 

Frau  von  Stael  is  now,  as  I  hear,  in  Weimar.  She 
weighed  upon  me  as  if  I  had  had  a  millstone  hang- 
ing about  my  neck.  I  went  out  of  her  way  every- 
where, refused  all  companies  where  she  was,  and 
breathed  more  freely  when  she  had  gone.  What 
does  the  woman  want  with  me  ?  I  have  never  in  my 
life  written  even  an  A  B  C  book,  and  my  good  genius 
will  in  the  future  also  guard  me  from  it. 

Greet  thy  dear  ones. 

1 1 6.  Frau  Rath  to  Christ iane   Vulpius. 

FRANKF.  A.  M.,  the  24th  January,  1804. 
DEAR  DAUGHTER  :  A  thousand  thanks  for  your 
dear  letter.  You  have  done  wisely  and  well  to  in- 
form me  of  my  son's  (praise  and  thanks  to  God)  re- 
turning health,  for  there  are  all  sorts  of  people  who 
delight  to  spread  ill  news  and  to  frighten  one  by  exag- 
gerating it  ;  therefore,  once  more,  my  best  thanks.  I 
am  also  made  entirely  easy  by  your  kind  assurance, 
yet  beg  you  soon  to  inform  me  of  the  continuance 
of  that  health  so  precious  to  me  ;  for  the  heart  of 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  221 

man  is,  as  was  known  of  old,  defiant  and  despond- 
ing. It  has  been  reported  here  that  Frau  von  Stael 
is  very  happy  in  Weimar,  and  that  that  princely  resi- 
dence will  carry  off  the  prize  for  renown  over  all 
other  places  where  she  has  yet  been,  and  will  be  by 
her  immortalized.  There  will  be  soon  fine  proceed- 
ings in  Weimar,  when  the  hereditary  prince  makes 
his  entry  with  his  wife,  etc. 

117.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

FRCKF.,  the  Qth  March,  1804. 

.  .  .  But  what  in  all  the  world  are  you  doing  with 
Frau  von  Stael  !  To  her,  Weimar  is  truly  a  paradise. 
She  will  some  day  praise  and  glorify  you  all.  What- 
ever ladies  here  have  the  least  of  the  learned  tone — 
for  example,  Fraulein  Louise  von  Barkhauss,  Frau 
Geheimde  Rathin  von  Wiesenhiitten,  Frau  von 
Schwarzkopf,  and  so  on — relate  wonderful  things  of 
how  delighted  the  lady  is  there.  Any  such  thing 
rejoices  me  heartily  if  I  can  keep  out  of  it.  Fare- 
well. Greet  my  dear  daughter  and  dear  Augustus, 

from 

Your  loving  grandmother 

GOETHE. 

Last  Wednesday  I  had  a  very  delightful  evening 
at  Schwarzkopf's.  "  Torquato  Tasso"  was  read. 
Antonio,  Frau  Rathin  Goethe. 

1 1 8.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  Qth  April,  1804. 

Greet  Schiller,  and  tell  him  that  I  from  my  heart 
esteem  and  love  him  ;  also,  that  his  writings  are  and 


222  Goet tie's  Mother. 

will  continue  to  be  to  me  a  true  refreshment.  Schil- 
ler and  thou  give  me,  also,  unspeakable  joy  that  you 
reply  not  one  word  to  all  the  schnick-schnack  of  re- 
viewers' twaddle  and  old  women's  gossip  ;  so  these 
gentlemen  may  go  to  the  devil  !  *  That  is  splendid 
on  your  part.  Had  Herrvon  Mayer  understood  this, 
he  would  not  have  brought  on  himself  so  much  vexa- 
tion. Continue  ever  in  this  good  course.  Your 
works  remain  for  eternity,  and  these  pitiable  scrawls 
go  to  pieces  in  one's  hand,  and  are  not  worth  pasting 
together.  Enough  said. 


A  few  months  before,  Christiane  Vulpius  had 
written  to  Nicolaus  Meyer :  "You  judge  our  dear 
Geheimrath  f  correctly  when  you  are  sure  he  will 
remain  silent  about  Kotzebue's  attacks.  What  time 
and  strength  he  would  have  lost  in  the  past  thirty 
years  had  he  noticed  all  the  stupid  things  which  have 
been  printed  about  him.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  at 
work  this  winter  on  much  that  will  certainly  give 
pleasure  to  you  and  all  his  friends  ;  he  goes  ever 
straight  on  his  way,  as  you  know,  without  looking 
much  about  him."  (/th  Feb.,  1803.) 

119.  Friedrich  Maximilian  Klingcr  to  Frau  Rath. 

S.  PETERSBURG,  18  Sept.,  1804. 
Your  remembrance,  excellent  lady,  has  caused  me 
so  much  joy  that  I  would  gladly  give  myself  up  to  the 

*  "  Darum  mogten  die  Herren  sich  dem  sei  bei  ergeben"  (dem 
sei  bei  =  dem  Gott  sei-bei-uns— the  God-be-with-us  =  the  devil). 
See  note  to  Letter  3. 

f  Goethe. 


Goethe  to  his  Mother.  223 

most  youthful  enthusiasm  to  describe  it.  But  when 
I  say  to  you  that  I  think  and  feel  just  as  at  the  time 
when  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  see,  honor,  and  love 
you,  that  I  am  only  outwardly  changed,  you  will 
easily  perceive  what  a  happy  day  your  letter  must 
have  given  me.  I  thank  you  heartily  for  it,  and  ven- 
ture to  say  that,  to-day,  after  all  the  wordly  expe- 
rience and  trial,  I  am  as  worthy  of  your  friendship 
as  when  I  first  began  life.  I  hope  yet  personally  to 
convince  you  of  it,  and  to  find  you  as  well  and  in 
happy  mood  as  when  I  saw  you  in  those  charming 
times.  I  could  not  be  of  service  to  the  Lieut. -Colo- 
nel, because  he  went  to  Moscow  as  a  speculator,  and 
entered  upon  affairs  which  lie  outside  of  my  sphere. 
Should  I  be  able  to  serve  him,  do  not  doubt  my  good 
will.  I  thank  you  for  sending  the  silhouette  of  my 
old  crony.  I  hope  he  has  ever  remained  my  friend, 
as  I  have  remained  so  to  him.  Should  you  see  my 
old  friend  Riese,  and  Willemer,  I  beg  you  to  greet 
them  in  the  old  spirit.  From  Riese  I  have  never 
heard  again,  and  I  would  have  been  so  glad  to  hear 
from  him.  May  you  live  as  well,  happily,  and  con- 
tentedly as  you  by  your  mind  and  heart  deserve.  I 
am,  with  the  most  cordial  friendship  and  reverence, 
Your  KLINGER. 

1 20.   Goethe  to  his  Mother. 

Receive,  dear  mother,  a  thousand  thanks  for  all 
the  kindness  you  have  shown  to  our  Augustus.  I 
wish  that  the  recollection  of  his  presence  may  give 
you  but  a  part  even  of  the  pleasure  which  his  narra- 
tion now  procures  us.  We  are,  thereby,  vividly 


224  Goethes  Mother. 

brought  back  to  you  and  my  old  friends.  Heartily 
thank  all  who  so  kindly  received  him.  This  first  es- 
say to  look  out  into  the  world  has  succeeded  so  well 
with  him  that  I  have  good  hopes  of  his  future.  His 
youth  has  been  a  fortunate  one,  and  I  wish  that  he 
may  gayly  and  joyously  pass  over  into  a  more  serious 
period  of  life.  His  description  of  your  continuous 
good  health  gives  us  the  greatest  pleasure  :  he  has 
often  to  repeat  it.  I  myself,  with  more  exercise  in 
this  better  weather,  am  very  well. 

We  all  send  our  fairest,  best,  and  most  grateful 
greetings.  G. 

W.,  the  6th  May,  1805. 

121.  Duke  George  of  Mecklenburg-Strelits  to 
Frau  Rath. 

CHARLOTTENBURG,  the  2oth  August,  1805. 
As  I  know  that  you  do  your  old  friend  justice,  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  depict  to  you  in  the 
usual  flourishes  my  joy  over  your  dear  letter.  I  say 
to  you,  rather,  that  I  have  fully  recognized  in  it  my 
old  dear  Rathin,  the  woman  in  regard  to  whom  I  have 
never  wondered  that  she  gave  Goethe  to  us.  This 
I  have  felt  not  merely  in  its  general  sense,  but  well- 
nigh,  as  I  have  expressed  it,  in  these  very  words  ;  and 
as  in  this  way  *  only  can  words  find  their  way  to 
your  heart,  as  I  know,  therefore  I  write  to  you.  For 
to  people  who  hereafter  shall  wander  in  mass  in  Ely- 
sium without  form  or  name,  as  your  son  says  in  his 
Eupkrosine,\  to  such  I  certainly  do  not  write,  how- 

*  i.f.,by  writing. 

f  Allusion  to  Goethe's  exquisite  elegy,  "  Euphrosyne,"  written 
on  hearing  of  the  death  of  Christiane  Neumann,  an  actress  whom  he 


D:tkj  Gzorge  to  Frau  Rath.          225 

ever  brilliant  may  be  the  positions  they  occupy  here. 
Do  you  remain  ever  kindly  disposed  toward  me,  and 
a  long  time  still  here  on  the  earth,  that  we  may  be 
able  often  again  to  clink  glasses  when  I  come  through 
Frankfort,  in  remembrance  of  the  good  old  times  ; 
for  I  think  I  can  state  with  tolerable  certainty  that  I 
shall  ever  remain  the  same  old  fellow.  The  Queen,* 
who  assures  me  that  she  saw  you  again  in  Frankfort 
with  heartfelt  pleasure,  sends  her  best  greeting  ;  and 
I,  if  you  permit  me,  embrace  you,  according  to  the 
old  agreement,  in  the  old  German  way.  GEORG. 

had  himself  instructed.  She  made  her  first  appearance  as  Arthur 
in  "  King  John." 

"  Denkst  du  der  Stunde  noch  wohl,  wie,  auf  dem  Brettergerttste, 
Du  mich  der  hoheren  Kunst  ernstere  Stufen  gefllhrt? 
Knabe  schien  ich,  ein  riihrendes  Kind,  du  nanntest  mich  Arthur, 
Und  belebtest  in  mir  britisches  Dichter-Gebild." 

The  intelligence  of  her  death  reached  Goethe  in  Switzerland, 
and  he  represents  her  in  the  elegy  as  appearing  to  him  while  toil- 
ing up  a  mountain  pass,  and  begging  him  to  give  her  name  and 
form  through  the  poetic  art  ;  otherwise  she  must  wander  a  name- 
less shade.  This  is  the  passage  alluded  to  in  the  letter : 

"  Lass  nicht  ungeriihmt  mich  zu  den  Schalten  hinabgehn  ! 
Nurdie  Muse  gesvalirt  einiges  Leben  dem  Tod. 
Denn  gestaltlos  schwehen  umher  in  Persephoneia's 
Reiche,  massenweis',  Schatten  von  Namen  getrennt  ; 
Wen  der  Dichter  aber  geriihmt,  d<r  wundelt  gesialtet, 
Einzeln,  gesellet  dem  Chor  aller  Heroen  sich  zu." 

We  venture  a  prose  translation  : 

Dost  thou  remember  the  time  when,  on  the  stage,  thou  ledst  me 
in  the  earnest  paths  of  higher  art  ?  A  boy  I  seemed,  a  heart- 
moving  child,  thou  calledst  me  Arthur,  and  through  me  thou 
gavest  life  to  the  creation  of  the  English  poet. 

Let  me  not  go  down  unsung  to  the  shades  ;  the  Muse  alone  gives 
life  to  the  dead.  For  there  float  about  in  crowds,  in  Persephone's 
kingdom,  formless  shadows,  bereft  of  all  name  ;  but  whom  the 
poet  has  sung  wanders  not  formless  ;  distinguished,  he  joins  the 
choir  of  heroes  of  all  times. 

*  Queen  Louisa,  of  Prussia,  his  sister. 


226  Goethe's  Mother. 


122.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe  s   Wife. 

The  1 6th  May,  1807. 

So  the  little  Brentano  *  has  at  last  had  her  wish, 
and  seen  Goethe.  I  believe,  in  the  opposite  case,  she 
would  have  gone  mad.  For  I  never  saw  the  like. 
She  wanted  to  disguise  herself  as  a  boy,  and  run  on 
foot  to  Weimar.  Last  winter  I  was  often  really  anx- 
ious about  the  maiden.  Thank  Heaven,  she  has  at 
last  had  her  wish  in  a  proper  manner.  She  is  not  yet 
back  here,  is  in  Cassel,  so  far  as  I  know.  As  soon  as 
she  comes  you  shall  learn  all  she  has  to  say. 


Goethe  was  married  to  Christiane  Vulpius  on  the 
1 9th  of  October,  1806.  Two  days  before,  he  had 
written  the  following  to  the  Oberconsistorial  Rath 
Giinther  :  f 

During  these  days  and  nights  an  old  purpose  of 
mine  has  come  to  maturity.  I  wish  fully,  and  in  the 
legal  form,  to  acknowledge  as  mine  my  little  friend 
who  has  done  so  much  for  me,  and  has  also  passed 
with  me  through  these  hours  of  trial. \ 

Tell  me,  worthy  pastor  and  father,  what  is  to  be 
done  that  we  may  be  married  as  soon  as  possible, 
Sunday  or  earlier.  What  are  the  necessary  steps  to 
be  taken  ?  Could  you  not  yourself  perform  the  cer- 
emony ?  I  should  wish  that  it  might  take  place  in 
the  sacristy  of  the  town-church. 

*  Bettina,  author  of  "  Goethe's  Correspondence  with  a  Child." 

f  Keil,  "  Frau  Rath,"  p.  364. 

J  The  sacking  of  Weimar,  which  followed  the  battle  of  Jena. 


Frail  Rath  to   Goctkc.  227 

If  it  is  convenient,  please  give  the  bearer  your 
reply.  GOETHE. 

Goethe  was  at  one  time  during  the  sack,  according 
to  the  account  Riemer*  gives  of  it,  in  personal 
danger,  from  which  he  was  rescued  by  the  coolness 
and  presence  of  mind  of  Christiane.  The  thought  of 
the  position  in  which  she  and  his  son  would  have 
been  left  by  his  death  may  have  assisted  in  bringing 
his  old  purpose  to  maturity. 


123.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  igth  May,  1807. 

Herewith  comes  a  note  from  the  little  Brentano. 
From  it  is  to  be  seen  that  she  is  still  roving  about  in 
strange  lands.  The  terms  of  her  letter  show,  too, 
more  than  could  be  done  with  a  whole  alphabet, 
how  she  was  pleased  with  her  visit  to  you.  Her  story 
by  word  of  mouth  I  long  for  amazingly.  If  she  was 
but  the  very  shortest  time  with  you,  I  know  positively 
that  there  will  be  no  other  word  to  be  heard  from  her 
but  of  Goethe.  Everything  that  lie  has  written,  every 
line  is  to  her  a  masterpiece,  especially  Egmont.  In 
comparison,  all  tragedies  that  have  ever  been  written 
are  nothing,  absolutely  nothing.  As  she  has,  cer- 
tainly, many  peculiarities,  she  is,  naturally,  judged 
wholly  erroneously.  She  has  here,  in  the  proper 
sense,  no  one  but  me.  Every  day  that  dawns  she 
is  here.  This  is  almost  her  only  pleasure.  Then  I 
must  talk  of  my  son,  then  tell  stories.  Then  she 
maintains  that  no  soul  tells  them  as  I  do,  and  so 

*  "Mittheilungen  tiber  Goethe." 


228  Goethes  Mother. 

on.  Also  from  time  to  time  she  makes  me  little 
presents,  sends  a  gift  at  Christmas.  For  the  first 
Whitsuntide  holiday  she  sent  me  by  post  two  boxes 
with  two  superb  flowers,  on  caps  such  as  I  wear,  and 
a  splendid  porcelain  chocolate  cup,  white  and  gold. 
Now  a  great  spring  from  Bettina  to  the  glass  fruit- 
bottles,  etc. 

A  few  years  before  this  (in  1804)  Crabb  Rob- 
inson saw  Bettina  in  Frankfort,  and  made  the  fol- 
lowing entry  in  his  diary  :  "  When  I  first  came  to 
Frankfort*  she  was  a  short,  stout,  romping  girl,  the 
youngest  and  least  agreeable  of  Madame  de  la  Roche's 
grandchildren.  She  was  always  considered  a  way- 
ward, unmanageable  creature.  I  recollect  seeing  her 
climb  apple-trees,  and  she  was  a  great  rattling 
talker.  I  recollect  also  hearing  her  speak  in  terms  of 
extravagant  admiration  of  the  Mignon  of  Goethe's 
'  Wilhelm  Meister. '  Clasping  her  hands  over  her 
bosom,  she  said,  '  I  always  lie  thus  when  in  bed, 
in  imitation  of  Mignon.'  '  (Henry  Crabb  Robinson, 
"Diary  Reminiscences,"  etc.) 

124.  Frau  Rat Ji  to  Goethe. 

The  8th  Septbr,  1807. 

Bettine  Brentano  is  enchanted  with  the  permission 
to  send  thee  a  little  note  now  and  then.  Thou 
needst  not  answer  it ;  that  she  does  not  ask,  for  that 
she  is  too  insignificant.  She  will  also  trouble  thee 
but  very  seldom.  A  man  like  thee  has  greater  things 
to  do  than  to  write  to  her.  She  does  not  wish  to 

*  In  1800. 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  229 

snatch  for  herself  the  moments  which  belong  to  pos- 
terity and  to  eternity. 


125.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  6th  Oct.,  1807. 

This  fair  was  rich  in  professors  ;  and  as  a  great 
portion  of  thy  reputation  is  reflected  back  on  me,  and 
people  fancy  I  have  contributed  something  to  thy 
great  talents,  they  accordingly  come  to  look  at  me. 
I  do  not,  then,  put  my  light  under  a  bushel,  but  on 
a  candlestick.  True,  I  assure  people  that  I  have  not 
in  the  least  contributed  to  that  which  has  made  thee 
a  great  man  and  poet  (for  praise  that  does  not  belong 
to  me  I  never  accept)  ;  besides,  I  know  very  well  to 
whom  the  praise  and  glory  belong  ;  for  toward  thy 
organization  within  me,  as  all  was  placed  in  thee  al- 
ready in  the  germ,  I  have  truly  done  nothing.  A 
grain  of  brain  more  or  less,  perhaps,  and  thou  wouldst 
have  been  a  very  ordinary  man,  for  where  there  is 
nothing  within,  nothing  can  come  out.  Judge  thou, 
all  the  female  philanthropists  in  all  Europe  could  not 
give  that.  Good,  useful  men — yes,  that  I  will  allow  ; 
but  here  the  question  is  of  the  extraordinary.  So, 
then,  my  dear  Frau  Aja,  thou  hast  most  properly 
and  justly  given  the  honor  to  God,  as  is  fair  and 
right.  Now,  in  regard  to  my  light  which  stands  on 
the  candlestick,  and  shines  pleasantly  in  the  profess- 
ors' eyes.  The  gift  which  God  has  given  me  is  a 
lively  descriptive  power  of  all  things  that  come 
within  my  knowledge,  great  and  small,  truth  and 
romance,  and  so  on.  As  soon  as  I  enter  a  circle,  all 
are  bright  and  cheerful  while  I  narrate.  Thus  I 


230  Goethe's  Mother. 

talked  to  the  professors,  and  they  came  and  went 
away  delighted.  That  is  the  whole  trick.  Yet  one 
more  thing  belongs  to  it  :  I  always  make  a  friendly 
face,  which  pleases  people  and  costs  nothing,  as  our 
blessed  Merck  used  to  say. 

I  long  very  much  for  the  Blocksberg — that  was  a 
silly  expression — one  might  think  that  I  was  awaiting 
with  anxiety  the  1st  of  May  *  So,  then,  for  the  de- 
scription of  thy  Blocksberg  f  I  am  waiting ;  thus 
it  is  better  expressed.  Greet  old  friends. 

126.  Frau  RatJi  to  Goethe. 

The  27th  Octbr,  1807. 

Since  the  24th  of  this  month  we  are  having  here  a 
splendid  show.  The  Imperial  Guards  are  passing 
through  to  Mainz,  to  their  own  country.  The  24th 
came  1821  jaegers  on  foot,  day  before  yesterday 
1767  grenadiers  on  foot  ;  yesterday  they  held  a  re- 
view on  the  Rossmarkt.  To-day  are  coming  2372 
fusileers  ;  Wednesday,  1091  mounted  jaegers  ;  Thurs- 
day, 657  dragoons,  and  the  3 1st,  1051  mounted  gren- 
adiers. Nay,  anything  like  this  the  world  has  not 
yet  seen  :  all  as  if  they  came  out  of  a  cupboard — not 
a  stain,  not  a  spot — and  then  the  splendid  music.  It 
is  with  me  as  with  the  dog  in  the  fable  :  stave  it 
off  I  cannot.  I  will  not  let  myself  be  torn  in  pieces  ; 
just  like  the  dogs,  I  eat  with  the  rest.  Which  is, 
being  interpreted,  I  cherish  life  while  yet  the  taper 
glows,  seek  for  no  thorns,  snatch  the  little  joys, 

*  On  the  eve  of  May-day  witches  were  said   to  dance  on   the 
Blocksberg,  or  Brocken,  the  highest  peak  of  the  Harz  Mountains. 
f  In  "  Faust." 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  231 

stoop  if  the  doors  are  low  ;  if  I  can  push  the  stone 
out  of  the  way,  do  so  ;  if  it  is  too  heavy,  go  around 
it,  and  thus  every  day  I  find  something  that  re- 
joices me,  and  the  key-stone — belief  in  God.  That 
makes  my  heart  glad  and  my  countenance  joyous.  I 
know  that  it  is  well  with  me  and  mine,  and  that  the 
leaves  not  even  wither,  to  say  nothing  of  the  stem. 
To-day  we  have  been  notified  of  a  large  quartering 
of  soldiers,  the  above-named  2372  men.  I  must 
regale  them  with  roast  pork. 

127.  Frau  Rat k  to  Goethe  s  Wife. 

The  1 4th  Novbr,  1807. 

The  Brentano  family  are  here  again  (except  Bettina, 
who  is  still  in  Cassel).  They  cannot  come  to  an  end 
of  praising  and  lauding  and  giving  thanks  :  there  is 
nothing  like  the  way  they  have  fared  with  you,  the 
honor  done  them,  the  pleasure  they  have  enjoyed. 
Siumna  summarum — such  excellent  people,  such  a 
handsome  house,  such  a  staircase,  such  a  play — this 
is  all  to  be  found  only  at  Goethe's.  It  has  all  been 
told  only  piecemeal,  for  they  are  not  to  anticipate 
Betine,  who  wants  to  tell  me  everything  herself. 
You,  my  dear  ones,  can  easily  imagine  what  a  day 
of  rejoicing  you  have  thereby  made  for  me,  and 
what  joy  awaits  me  in  Betine's  narration.  For  this 
joy  also,  I  thank  you  all  heartilv. 

128.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

Friday,  the  i$th  January,  1808. 
Bettine  is  beside  herself  with  joy  over  thy  letter. 
She  brought  it  to  me  in  triumph,  as  well  as  over 


232  Goethes  Mother. 

Herr  Riemer's  verses.  Weimar  is  her  heaven,  and 
the  angels  (the  whole  country  is  included)  are  you 
all  !  Betine  told  me  Fraul.  von  Gochhausen  was 
dead  ;  is  it  true  ?  * 

Meline  is  much  rejoiced  that  the  little  cap  was  so 
kindly  received. 


129.  Frau  Rath  to   Jier  Grandson,  Augustus  GoctJic. 

The  28th  March,  1808. 

We  have  now  a  museum  too.  Thy  father's  bust 
stands  there  near  our  Prince  Primate's.  The  place 
of  honor  on  the  left  is  not  yet  occupied  ;  it  should  in 
justice  be  a  Frankforter.  Yes,  ye  may  wait  a  while  ! 
On  such  an  occasion  or  opportunity  Kastner's  cap- 
ital epigram  always  occurs  to  me  :  "  Ihr  Fiirsten, 
Grafen  und  Pralaten,  auch  Herrn  und  St'adte  insge- 
mein,  vor  20  Species  Ducaten,  denk  doch  !  soil 
einer  Goethe  sein.f 


The  Prince  Primate,  Charles  Theodore  von  Dai- 
berg,  was  an  interesting  figure  of  the  times.  The 
Dalbergs  early  took  a  prominent  position  in  Ger- 
many. At  the  coronation  ceremonies,  as  soon  as  the 
crown  had  been  placed  on  the  emperor's  head  it 
was  the  custom  for  the  herald  to  cry  out,  "  1st  kein 
Dalberg  da?"  (Is  there  no  Dalberg  here?)  where- 

*  Fraiilein  von  Gochhausen  died  on  the  7th  of  September,  1807. 

f  Ye  Princes,  Counts,  and  Prelates,  also  Lords  and  Towns, 
usually  among  twenty  gold  ducats,  just  think,  there  will  be  but 
one  Goethe.  These  princes  and  towns  are  addressed  because  they 
had  the  right  of  coining  money. 


Charles   Theodore  von  Dalbcrg.        233 

upon  the  representative  of  this  family  advanced  and 
was  made  by  the  emperor  first  knight  of  the  empire. 
The  subject  of  the  present  sketch  was  born  in 
1744.  He  became  early  the  recipient  of  ecclesiastical 
honors.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  he  was  prebend 
of  the  Archbishopric  of  Mainz,  in  the  next  year 
prebend  of  Wurzburg  and  Worms,at  fourteen  Canon 
at  Worms,  at  twenty-four  Canon  at  Mainz,  at  twenty- 
six  Vicar-General  of  Worms  and  Privy  Councillor 
to  the  Elector  of  Mainz.  In  1792  he  was  appointed 
Governor  of  Erfurt,  which  belonged  to  the  Elector- 
ate of  Mainz.  This  position  he  occupied  more  than 
fifteen  years,  and  was  in  intimate  relations  with  the 
neighboring  court  of  Weimar  and  its  literary  circle. 
Frequent  mention  is  made  of  the  Statthalter  (his 
official  title)  in  the  correspondence  of  the  time.  In 
a  letter  to  Frau  von  Stein  (5th  May,  1780)  Goethe 
writes  of  him  :  "By  his  narrations,  drawn  from  his 
varied  political  activity,  he  lifts  my  mind  out  of  the 
simple  web  I  spin  about  me,  which,  although  having 
many  threads,  yet  gradually  confines  me  too  much 
to  a  central  point.  .  .  .  He  has  remarkable 
adroitness  in  civil  and  political  affairs,  and  an  enviable 
readiness."  In  1787  von  Dalberg  was  made  Coadju- 
tor to  the  Elector  of  Mainz,  a  position  which  im- 
plied the  succession  to  that  electorate.  Duke  Carl 
August  of  Saxe- Weimar  interested  himself  actively  in 
favor  of  this  appointment.  In  1802  he  succeeded  to 
the  Electorate  of  Mainz  and  the  Arch-Chancellor- 
ship of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire,  to  which,  in  the 
following  year,  were  added  the  Archbishopric  of 
Ratisbon,  with  the  cities  of  AschafTenburg  and  Wetz- 
lar.  In  1805,  by  the  treaty  of  Luneville  the  left  bank 


234  Goet lie's  Mother. 

of  the  Rhine  was  ceded  to  the  French,  by  which  von 
Dalberg  lost  the  greater  portion  of  his  electorate  ; 
to  compensate  him  he  was  made  Prince  Primate  of 
the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine,  and  to  provide  a 
revenue  consistent  with  his  dignity  as  presiding 
officer  of  the  Diet,  a  portion  of  the  Rhine  tolls  was 
assigned  to  him  by  Napoleon. 

Von  Dalberg  was  from  the  first  a  great  admirer  of 
the  genius  of  Napoleon.  He  was  present  at  Paris  at 
the  latter's  coronation,  and  was  made  corresponding 
member  of  the  Institute,  succeeding  to  Klopstock. 
In  spite  of  his  admiration  for  Napoleon,  he  felt  that 
the  French  ascendency  in  Germany  should  be  resist- 
ed, and  at  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  third  coali- 
tion against  Napoleon  he  issued  a  proclamation  in 
favor  of  it  to  all  the  states  of  the  German  Empire. 
The  battle  of  Austerlitz  gave  the  decisive  blow  to 
the  coalition,  and  von  Dalberg,  believing  further  re- 
sistance useless,  accepted  without  reserve  the  Napo- 
leonic rule.  Alluding  to  his  presidency  of  the  Diet, 
and  his  revenue  from  the  Rhine  tolls,  he  said  jestingly 
to  Napoleon  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  "  Quant 
ct  mot,  Sire,jetiai  ricn  a  perdre,  vous  m  avez  di*ja 
mis  a  la  dicte  et  a  C cau. "  Napoleon  did  not, 
however,  withdraw  his  favor,  and  when,  later  on,  to 
appease  the  demands  of  Bavaria  it  became  neces- 
ary  to  take  Ratisbon  from  him,  the  free  town  of 
Frankfort  was  deprived  of  its  autonomy  and  handed 
over  to  von  Dalberg,  who  took  the  title  of  Grand 
Duke  of  Frankfort. 

Under  these  circumstances  it  was  not  to  be  expected 
that  the  Frankforters  should  be  very  much  pleased 
with  their  Grand  Duke.  They  gave  him,  however, 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe's   Wife.          235 

the  credit  of  his  good  intentions  :  he  interested 
himself  actively  for  the.  charitable  institutions  of  the 
town,  and  promoted  the  creation  of  the  beautiful 
boulevards  which  surround  the  town,  and  form  one  of 
the  most  charming  features  of  modern  Frankfort. 
But,  with  all  his  good  intentions,  he  was,  like  many 
German  princes  of  his  day,  but  a  puppet  on  a  wire 
which  was  pulled  in  Paris,  and  in  his  grand  duchy 
the  birthday  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  was  ex- 
pected to  be  celebrated  as  if  on  French  territory. 

The  war  of  1813  found  von  Dalberg  on  the  unpop- 
ular side,  and  he  was  too  old  to  change  again.  He 
abdicated  his  grand  duchy  and  retired  to  Ratisbon, 
where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  retire- 
ment and  comparative  poverty.  He  died  in  1817. 

130.  Frau  RatJi  to  Goethe' 's  Wife. 

The  22d  April,  1808. 

Augustus  has  dined  at  our  Prince's  (the  Primate's) 
with  me.  The  Prince  drank  my  son's  health,  and 
was  thoroughly  charming.  The  play  was  a  great 
pleasure  to  him  ;  he  was  there  every  evening.  The 
Schlossers,  Brentanos,  Gernings,  Leonhardis  showed 
him  much  friendship. 


In  Eckermann's  "Conversations  with  Goethe," 
there  is  the  following  passage  about  this  dinner : 
"  Dined  with  Frau  von  Goethe.  Young  Goethe  relat- 
ed some  pleasant  anecdotes  of  his  grandmother,  Frau 
Rath  Goethe,  of  Frankfort,whom  he  had  visited  twen- 
ty years  before  as  a  student,  and  with  whom  he  was 
one  day  invited  to  dine  at  the  Prince  Primate's.  The 


236  Goethe's  Mother. 

Prince,  as  a  mark  of  particular  politeness,  had  come 
to  meet  the  Frau  Rath  on  the  stairs  ;  but  as  he  wore 
his  usual  clerical  costume,  she  took  him  for  an  abbe 
and  paid  him  no  particular  respect.  Even  when 
first  seated  by  his  side  at  table,  she  did  not  put  on 
the  most  friendly  face.  In  the  course  of  the  conver- 
sation, however,  she  gradually  perceived,  from  the 
deportment  of  the  rest  of  the  guests,  that  he  was 
the  Primate.  The  Prince  then  drank  her  health  and 
that  of  her  son,  whereupon  she  rose  and  proposed 
the  health  of  his  Highness." 

131.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  3d  June,  1808. 

Thy  letter  of  the  Qth  May  has  refreshed  and  highly 
delighted  me.  Yes,  yes,  vineyards  are  still  planted 
on  the  mountains  of  Samaria  ;  *  there  is  planting 
and  piping !  As  often  as  I  hear  anything  good 
from  thee  all  the  promises  treasured  in  my  heart 
spring  to  life  again.  He  keepeth  truth  forever,  hal- 
lelujah !  He  will  this  time  also  bless  Carlsbad, f 
and  will  let  me  always  hear  good  news  of  you. 

Betine  is  in  the  Rheingau  ;  but  all  the  good  that 
thou  hast  written  of  her  she  shall  faithfully  be  in- 
formed of. 

132.  Frau  Rath  to  Goethe. 

The  ist  July,  1808. 

Thy  little  note  of  the  22d  June  was  again  an  ex- 
cellent, precious,  delightful  apparition  to  me.  God 

*  See  Letter  30,  note. 

\  Where  Goethe  was  going  for  the  benefit  of  the  waters. 


Frau  Rath  to  Goethe.  237 

bless  the  cure  still  farther,  and  cause  the  old  trouble 
entirely  to  disappear. 

Thy  dear  friendly  letter  to  Betine  I  have  not  yet 
been  able  to  forward  to  her.  She  darts  about  like  a 
will-o-the-wisp,  now  in  the  Rheingau,  now  some- 
where else.  As  soon  as  she  comes  she  shall  have 
this  happiness. 

Herr  Werner  is  here.  Frau  von  Stael,  born 
Necker,  has  been  here. 


The  above  is  the  last  of  the  Frau  Rath's  published 
letters.  She  died  on  the  I3th  of  September,  1808,  in 
her  seventy-eighth  year,  receiving  with  cheerful  res- 
ignation from  her  nephew  and  physician,  Dr.  Mel- 
ber,  whom  she  dearly  loved,  the  intelligence  that 
her  last  hours  had  come. 

Falk  gives  a  characteristic  anecdote  of  her  old  age, 
which  sums  up  those  traits  of  serene  trust  and  light- 
heartedness  with  which  her  letters  abound  : 

"In  her  old  age,  at  a  time  when  she  had  been 
many  weeks  molested  by  the  troubles  attendant 
upon  age,  she  said  to  a  friend  who  had  come  to 
inquire  after  her  health,  '  Thank  God  !  I  am  once 
more  contented  with  myself,  and  can  endure  myself 
for  a  few  weeks  longer.  Till  now  I  have  been  quite 
intolerable,  and  have  striven  against  God  like  a  little 
child  that  never  knows  what  it  needs.  But  yesterday 
I  could  stand  myself  no  longer,  I  gave  myself  a 
good  scolding,  and  said,  "  Ay,  art  thou  not  ashamed 
of  thyself,  old  Rathin  !  Thou  hast  had  good  days 
enough,  and  Wolfgang  besides,  and  now  when  the 
evil  days  come  thou  shouldst  make  the  best  of  them, 


238  Goethes  Mother. 

and  not  pull  such  a  wry  face  !  What  does  it  mean 
that  thou  art  so  impatient  and  naughty  when  the 
blessed  God  lays  a  cross  on  thee  ?  Dost  thou  want, 
then,  to  walk  upon  roses  forever,  and  art  past  the 
goal,  over  seventy  years  old  !  "  Look  you,  this  is 
what  I  said  to  myself,  and  directly  there  set  in  an  im- 
provement, and  I  grew  better  because  I  was  no  longer 
so  naughty. '  ' 

In  1844,  when  the  statue  of  Goethe  was  to  be  un- 
veiled in  Frankfort,  Bettina  von  Arnim  was  seized 
with  a  very  happy  inspiration.  "  I  see  from  the 
programme,"  she  wrote  to  the  committee,  "  that 
the  procession  will  pass  the  house  where  Goethe's 
mother  spent  her  last  years.  You  will  doubtless  halt 
there  and  give  a  solemn  salute  with  the  trumpets  in 
memory  of  your  amiable  fellow-townswoman,  who  so 
clung  with  her  whole  heart  to  her  native  town.  And 
it  would  be  very  appropriate  if,  among  all  the  gar- 
lands which  on  that  day  shall  be  brought  to  the 
statue  of  Goethe,  the  best  and  holiest  crown,  after 
having  adorned  the  son's  head  should  be  laid  upon 
his  mother's  grave  ;  this  would  fully  express  the 
sympathy  with  that  enthusiasm  which  through  this 
woman's  whole  life  was  the  reflection  of  the  purest 
happiness." 

The  cemetery  where  the  Frau  Rath  was  buried  is 
now  disused,  and  is  a  public  walk.  The  Frau  Rath's 
last  resting-place  has  been  marked  by  a  stone  with 
the  inscription,  "  Der  Grab  der  Frau  Rath  Goethe." 
The  spot  has  many  visitors,  and  none  can  fail  to  note 
the  appropriateness  of  the  place  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  city  she  loved.  The  coronation  ceremonies, 
which  were  once  counted  among  the  glories  of  Frank- 


Death  of  Fran  Rath.  239 

fort,  have  gone  their  way  into  the  lumber-room  of 
the  past,  but  the  Frau  Rath  gave  to  the  world  an 
emperor  in  the  realm  of  thought,  the  splendor  of 
whose  genius  has  shed  a  lustre  on  his  birthplace  such 
as  Holy  Roman  Emperor  never  gave. 


THE  GOETHE  HOUSE  AT  FRANKFORT. 

(SEE   TITLE-PAGE.) 


THE  Goethe  House  in  the  Hirschgraben  at  Frankfort- 
on-the-Main  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Goethe  family, 
and  first  began  to  have  a  history,  in  the  year  1733.  In  that 
year  it  was  bought  by  Frederick  George  Goethe's  widow, 
the  poet's  grandmother.  The  widow  Goethe  had  inherited 
a  handsome  property  from  her  first  husband,  the  proprietor 
of  the  hotel  "  Zum  VVeidenhof."  For  her  second  hus- 
band she  had  married  Frederick  George  Goethe,  a  tailor, 
who  for  her  sake  dropped  the  shears  and  carried  on  the 
business  of  the  hotel  until  he  died  in  1730,  leaving  his 
widow  with  two  sons.  In  1733  the  eldest  son  died,  and  in 
the  same  year  the  widow  sold  the  hotel  and  bought  this 
house  in  the  Hirschgraben,  to  which  she  retired  with  her 
only  remaining  son,  John  Caspar,  the  poet's  father.  The 
house  at  that  time  consisted  of  two  bulidings,  a  large  and 
a  small  one,  the  partition  walls  of  which  had  been  broken 
through,  and  the  different  levels  of  the  floors  overcome  by 
steps.  As  long  as  the  grandmother  lived  the  house  re- 
mained in  this  condition,  but  the  poet's  father  was  for 
many  years  busied  with  plans  for  its  reconstruction.  In 
1754  the  grandmother  died,  and  in  the  following  year  the 
rebuilding  was  begun,  the  future  poet,  at  the  age  of  six, 
dressed  as  a  bricklayer,  laying  the  corner-stone.  In  1795 
John  Caspar  Goethe's  widow,  the  poet's  mother,  sold  the 
house  to  Herr  Blum,  a  wine  merchant.  Herr  Blum  sold 
it  the  same  year  to  the  widow  of  the  Procurator  Roessing. 


242       The  Goethe  Hoii.se  at  Frankfort. 

In  the  possession  of  the  Roessing  family  the  house  re- 
mained until  1863,  when  it  was  bought  by  public  subscrip- 
tion and  placed  in  the  hands  of  an  association  called  the 
Free  German  Foundation  (Freies  Deutsches  Hochstift),  to 
be  held  by  them  in  trust  for  the  German  people. 

Such  is  the  simple  chronology  of  a  house  whose  associa- 
tions render  it  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  Germany.  It 
has  been  restored  as  nearly  as  possible  to  its  original  con- 
dition, and  its  rooms  are  now  used  for  society  meetings 
and  for  the  purposes  of  reading  and  study.  Some  few  ar- 
ticles of  the  original  furniture  have  with  difficulty  been 
secured,  but  the  chief  interest  to  the  visitor  is  in  recalling 
on  the  spot  the  story  of  Goethe's  home  life.  Therefore, 
before  describing  these  bare  though  speaking  walls,  we 
pause  to  consider  the  dramatis  persona  of  the  family  circle 
in  which  grew  up  the  wise  poet,  the  reflection  of  whose 
genius  has  made  them  all  illustrious. 

The  widow  of  Frederick  George  Goethe  had  spared  no 
pains  upon  the  education  of  her  only  remaining  son,  John 
Caspar.  He  had  been  sent  to  the  gymnasium  at  Coburg, 
reputed  one  of  the  first  schools  of  that  day  ;  went  thence 
to  the  University  at  Leipsic,  where  he  studied  law,  and, 
later,  took  the  degree  of  Doctor-at-Law  at  the  University 
of  Giessen.  A  few  years  after  he  came  with  his  mother  to 
live  in  the  house  in  the  Hirschgraben,  Dr.  Goethe,  then  in 
his  thirtieth  year,  made  a  journey  to  Italy.  In  the  year 
1740  a  journey  to  Italy  was  an  event,  and  it  left  upon  the 
poet's  father  an  ineffaceable  impression.  Twenty-six  years 
after,  when  the  poet  in  his  turn  was  in  Italy,  he  wrote  from 
Naples  :  "  I  can  forgive  all  those  who  go  out  of  their 
wits  in  Naples,  and  remember  with  emotion  my  father, 
who  received  an  indelible  impression  from  these  very  ob- 
jects which  to-day  I  have  seen  for  the  first  time  ;  and  as 
it  is  said  that  he  to  whom  a  ghost  has  appeared  will  never 
be  joyous  again,  so  in  an  opposite  sense  it  might  be  said 


TJie  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.      243 

of  him  that  he  never  could  be  unhappy,  because  he  always 
in  thought  turned  back  to  Naples."  The  father  brought 
home  engravings,  curiosities,  collections,  and  bric-a-brac 
of  many  kinds.  Views  of  St.  Peter's,  the  Castle  of  San 
Angelo,  the  Colosseum,  etc.,  were  hung  about  the  house, 
and  became  associated  with  the  poet's  earliest  recollec- 
tions. The  father's  time  and  thoughts  were  occupied  for 
many  years  in  arranging  his  collections,  and  in  writing 
out  his  diary  in  the  Italian  language  with  the  greatest  care 
and  minuteness.  He  read,  wrote,  spoke,  and  sang  Italian 
— in  short,  Italy  became  a  very  hobby  with  him  for  the 
rest  of  his  life. 

Dr.  Goethe  now  anticipated  taking  a  part  in  the  world, 
but  found  his  hopes  quickly  frustrated. 

"  My  father,"  writes  the  poet,  "  as  soon  as  he  had 
returned  from  his  travels,  had,  in  accordance  with  his  own 
peculiar  character,  formed  the  project — in  order  to  prepare 
himself  for  the  service  of  the  city — of  undertaking  one  of 
the  subordinate  offices  and  filling  it  without  emolument, 
provided  it  were  given  him  without  his  being  subjected  to 
the  ballot.  According  to  his  way  of  thinking,  and  the 
conception  he  had  of  himself,  and  in  the  consciousness  of 
his  good  intentions,  he  believed  himself  worthy  of  such  a 
distinction,  although,  in  fact,  it  was  in  accordance  \vilh 
neither  law  nor  precedent.  Consequently,  when  his  request 
was  refused,  he  fell  into  ill-humor  and  vexation — swore 
that  he  would  never  take  any  position  whatever  ;  and  in 
order  to  render  it  impossible,  procured  for  himself  the 
title  of  Imperial  Councillor  (Kaiserlicher  Rath),  which  the 
Chief  Magistrate  (Schultheiss)  and  the  eldest  judges  bore 
as  a  special  mark  of  distinction.  In  this  way  he  made 
himself  the  equal  of  those  in  the  highest  positions,  and 
could  no  longer  begin  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder." 

The  Imperial  Councillor  next  turned  his  attention  to 
matrimony,  and  sued  for  and  obtained  the  hand  of  Cath- 


244       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

arine  Elizabeth  Textor,  the  daughter  of  the  Schultheiss. 
The  bride  was  not  yet  eighteen  years  old,  twenty  years 
younger  than  her  husband,  nor  was  this  difference  ever 
compensated  for  by  sympathy  in  thought  or  feeling.  The 
wife  felt  herself  to  be,  as  was  the  fact,  not  so  far  separated 
by  years  from  her  children  as  from  her  husband.  She  had 
married  because  her  parents  thought  the  offer  an  eligible 
one,  and  she  found  herself  in  the  hands  of  a  grim,  pedan- 
tic, solemn  schoolmaster  ;  for  Rath  Goethe's  marriage 
brought  out  in  him  a  second  hobby,  namely,  the  most  rigid 
pedagogy.  He  was  a  man  with  absolutely  nothing  to  do, 
who  had  been  carefully  crammed  with  all  the  book-learn- 
ing of  his  day,  and  it  became  with  him  a  sort  of  mono- 
mania to  impart  his  knowledge  to  others.  The  young  wife 
was,  accordingly,  at  once  set  to  work  at  writing  from  dic- 
tation, playing  on  the  harpsichord,  singing,  studying  Ital- 
ian, etc.  The  birth  of  the  poet  brought  her  her  first 
vacation,  but  gradually,  the  children  offering  a  fresh  field 
for  the  pedagogue's  labors,  the  wife's  education  came  to 
be  looked  upon  as  completed.  Goethe  thus  sketches  the 
situation  : 

"  A  father,  certainly  affectionate  and  well-meaning,  but 
grave,  who,  because  he  cherished  within  a  very  tender 
heart,  manifested  outwardly,  with  incredible  persistency,  a 
brazen  sternness,  that  he  might  attain  the  end  of  giving 
his  children  the  best  education,  and  of  building  up,  regu- 
lating, and  preserving  his  well-founded  house.  A  mother, 
on  the  other  hand,  still  almost  a  child,  who  first  grew  into 
consciousness  with  and  in  her  two  eldest  children.  These 
three,  as  they  looked  out  on  the  world  with  healthy  glances, 
felt  a  capacity  for  life  and  a  longing  for  present  enjoy- 
ment. This  contradiction  floating  in  the  family  increased 
with  years.  My  father  followed  out  his  views  unshaken 
and  uninterrupted  ;  the  mother  and  children  could  not 
give  up  their  feelings,  their  claims,  their  desires." 


The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.      245 

The  poet,  in  recurring  to  his  boyhood,  naturally  dwells 
upon  his  father's  severity,  which  was  the  paramount  im- 
pression of  that  period  of  his  life.  But  we  should  not  be 
unjust  to  Rath  Goethe  ;  he  was  a  man  to  be  respected, 
though  not  beloved  ;  if  formality  and  sternness  be  faults, 
at  least  they  lean  toward  virtue's  side,  and  as  far  as  in- 
struction goes,  he  had  not  simply  a  passion  for  it,  but  great 
talent.  The  education  he  gave  his  son  was,  it  is  true,  very 
different  from  that  the  son  would  have  obtained  in  any 
school  of  that  day  or  this,  and  seems  very  desultory  and 
imperfect  to  those  accustomed  to  the  rigid  uniformity  of 
schools. 

Music,  drawing,  reading,  writing,  dancing,  history,  geog- 
raphy, fencing,  languages,  ancient,  modern,  and  Oriental 
— everything  seemed  to  be  going  on  at  once.  Yet  this  want 
of  method  in  so  methodical  a  man  suited  the  universality 
of  the  son's  genius,  which  it  might  have  been  difficult  to 
bind  down  to  the  routine  of  a  school.  Rath  Goethe  did 
not  pay  much  attention  to  the  order  in  which  the  studies 
were  pursued,  so  that  the  children  were  always  busied  with 
something  which  he  thought  important.  It  was  one  of  the 
characteristics  of  Goethe's  activity  of  mind  that  he  could 
all  his  life  spring  from  one  subject  to  another,  even  the 
most  diverse  ;  but  it  was  also  a  part  of  his  nature  to  busy 
himself  about  half  a  dozen  different  things  almost  at  the 
same  time,  and  leave  them  all  incomplete.  This  trait  must 
have  been  a  severe  trial  to  the  father,  for  his  rule  was  that 
everything  begun  should  be  completed,  and  if  a  book  which 
he  had  chosen  to  be  read  aloud  in  the  family  circle  proved 
never  so  tedious,  it  must  be  read  through,  even  if  he  were 
himself  the  first  to  set  the  example  of  yawning.  In  spite 
of  the  many-sidedness  of  Goethe's  mind,  there  was  little 
place  there  for  mathematics — a  line  of  thought  which  was 
not  very  far  pursued  in  his  education,  and  which  he  never 
could  appreciate.  Later  in  life,  when  mathematicians  of- 


246       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

fered  to  prove  by  geometric  formulae  that  his  theory  of 
colors  was  false,  he  could  not  comprehend  them,  and 
believed  that  they  were  trifling  with  him.  He  approached 
the  problems  of  nature,  not  as  an  unimp?ssioned  investiga- 
tor, but  as  a  poet,  and  the  wonderful  generalizations 
which  he  made  in  botany  and  anatomy — theories  which  are 
now  accepted  and  acknowledged — sprang  from  his  intense 
poetic  conception  of  the  necessary  unity  of  nature. 

Not  a  ray  of  the  poet's  genius  can  be  traced  to  his 
father  ;  in  the  son's  youth  and  young  manhood  the  joyous 
disposition  and  lively  imagination  which  he  received  from 
his  mother  were  his  most  conspicuous  qualities  ;  but  as 
he  grew  old  he  came  more  and  more  to  resemble  his 
father,  and  in  the  dignified  formality  of  what  was  called 
Goethe's  "official  manner"  the  old  Frankfort  Councillor 
seems  to  appear  again  before  us. 

The  rebuilding  of  the  house  was  one  of  the  great  events 
of  Goethe's  childhood.  The  family  remained  in  it  through 
nearly  the  whole  period  of  the  work.  The  upper  stories 
were  supported,  and  the  house  rebuilt  from  below  upward. 
Goethe  writes  : 

"  This  new  epoch  was  a  very  surprising  and  remarkable 
one  for  the  children.  To  see  falling  before  the  mason's 
pick  and  the  carpenter's  axe  the  rooms  in  which  they  had 
been  so  often  cooped  up  and  pestered  with  wearisome  les- 
sons and  tasks,  the  passages  in  which  they  had  played,  the 
walls  for  whose  cleanliness  and  preservation  so  much  care 
had  been  taken,  to  see  this  work  going  on  from  below  up- 
ward while  they  were  suspended,  as  it  were,  in  the  air, 
propped  up  on  beams,  and  yet  all  the  time  to  be  held  to  an 
appointed  lesson,  to  a  definite  task — all  this  brought  a  con- 
fusion into  our  young  heads  which  it  was  not  so  easy  to 
clear  away  again.  But  the  inconveniences  were  felt  less 
by  the  young  people,  because  they  had  more  space  for  play 
than  before,  and  had  many  opportunities  of  balancing  on 
rafters  and  playing  at  see-saw  with  the  boards." 


The  Goetlic  House  at  Frankfort.      247 

The  rebuilding  was  begun  in  the  spring  of  1755,  and  was 
at  least  so  far  completed  before  the  winter  that  the  family 
could  resume  their  usual  course  of  life.  Much  remained 
to  be  done  for  the  adornment  and  completion  of  the  inte- 
rior. The  father's  books  were  rearranged,  and  the  pictures, 
which  had  been  scattered  through  the  house,  were  col- 
lected together,  set  in  black  and  gilt  frames,  and  hung  in 
one  room  in  symmetrical  order.  With  the  Herr  Rath's 
intense  love  of  order  and  minute  attention  to  details,  all 
these  arrangements,  together  with  the  decorating  and  fur- 
nishing of  the  rooms,  ware  extended  over  a  long  period  of 
time.  In  the  course  of  this  work  so  much  that  was  super- 
fluous was  found  that  the  Herr  Rath  (who  never  allowed 
anything  to  be  lost)  determined  to  have  a  sale  by  auction, 
at  which,  among  other  things,  he  sold  his  mother's  clothes 
and  house-linen.  The  following  advertisement  appeared 
in  the  Frankfort  Advertiser,  April  25,  1758  : 

"  By  superior  authority,  on  the  coming  Monday,  May 
ist,  and  the  following  days,  at  the  house  of  Rath  Goethe, 
in  the  Grosse  Hirschgraben,  will  be  sold,  by  the  sworn 
auctioneer,  to  the  highest  bidder,  various  movables  in  the 
following  order  :  First,  several  firearms,  among  them  a 
new  mousqueton  ;  next,  various  articles  of  wood- work,  to- 
gether with  a  still  serviceable  lattice*  for  a  house-door, 
three  large  house-clocks  ;  then,  tin  and  brass  articles,  etc. 
Further,  several  empty  casks  ;  next,  a  violin  and  an  ebony 
flute-traversttre ;  further,  a  number  of  law,  practical,  and 
historical  books,  and  among  these  a  set  of  the  well-known 
'  Elzevir  Republics,'  together  with  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty-two  unbound  complete  copies  of  D.  Wahl's  '  Dis- 
sert, de  usufr.  conjugum  pacific ; '  further,  several  silk 
and  cotton  dresses  ;  and  lastly,  a  moderate  assortment  of 

*  The  Gerams  through  which  the  mischievous  Wolfgang  threw 
all  the  kitchen  dishes  for  the  amusement  of  his  playmates,  the 
Ochsensteins,  across  the  way.  See  the  Autobiography. 


248       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

good  linen  articles,  mostly  for  women,  as  well  as  various 
articles  not  included  under  the  above  heads." 

Turning  to  the  year  1794,  in  Goethe's  diary  we  find  a 
pleasant  retrospect  of  the  reconstructed,  refurnished  home. 
Nearly  forty  years  have  passed  away  since  all  were  so  busy 
with  its  refurnishing.  The  Herr  Rath  is  long  since  dead  ; 
the  French  Revolution  has  come,  with  the  troublous  times 
which  followed  it,  and  Goethe's  mother  begins  to  find  the 
large  house  a  source  of  anxiety  and  care. 

"  The  handsome  citizen's  house  which  my  mother  had 
enjoyed  since  my  father's  death  had  been  a  burden  to  her 
ever  since  the  beginning  of  hostilities,  although  she  had 
not  ventured  to  acknowledge  it  ;  yet  during  my  last  year's 
visit  1  had  explained  her  situation  to  her,  and  urged  her  to 
free  herself  from  such  a  burden.  But  just  at  that  time  it 
was  unadvisable  to  do  what  one  felt  to  be  necessary.  A 
house  newly  built  within  our  lifetime,  a  convenient  and 
becoming  citizen's  residence,  a  well-cared-for  wine-cellar, 
household  articles  of  all  kinds  and  in  good  taste  for  their 
time  ;  collections  of  books,  pictures,  copper-plates,  maps, 
antiquities,  small  objects  of  ait  and  curiosities  ;  very  many 
remarkable  things  which  my  father  out  of  inclination  and 
knowledge  had  collected  about  him  as  opportunity  offered 
— all  was  still  there  together  ;  it  all,  by  place  and  position, 
was  conveniently  and  usefully  united,  and  only  as  a  whole 
had  it  really  its  acquired  worth.  Thinking  of  it  as  divided 
and  scattered,  one  must  necessarily  fear  to  see  it  wasted 
or  lost." 

This  dispersion,  which  Goethe  looked  foward  to  with 
pain,  took  place  in  the  next  year,  1795. 

One  enters  the  Goethe  mansion  from  the  street  by  three 
steps,  and  comes  into  a  large  hall  extending  the  whole 
depth  of  the  house  from  front  to  rear.  On  the  right  are 
rooms  which  were  used  for  storerooms  and  for  the  ser- 
vants ;  on  the  left  are  the  kitchen,  in  the  rear,  and  the 


The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.      249 

family  dining-room,  toward  the  street.  In  the  latter  oc- 
curred the  well-known  tragi-comic  barber  scene.  It  was 
at  the  time  when  Klopstock's  "  Messiah"  was  in  the  height 
of  its  popularity.  Rath  Goethe  had  been  educated  in  the 
opinion,  very  prevalent  in  his  day,  that  poetry  and  rhyme 
were  inseparable  ;  and  as  the  "  Messiah"  was  not  written 
in  rhyme,  it  was  very  plain  to  him  that  it  could  not  be 
poetry,  and  he  would  have  none  of  it.  A  friend  of  the 
family,  at  the  same  time  an  enthusiast  for  Klopstock, 
smuggled  the  book  into  the  house.  The  mother  and 
children  were  delighted  with  it,  and  the  latter  learned  large 
portions  of  it  by  heart.  Goethe  relates  : 

"  We  divided  between  us  the  wild,  despairing  dialogue 
between  Satan  and  Adramelech,  who  have  been  cast  into 
the  Red  Sea.  The  first  part,  as  the  most  violent,  fell  to 
my  share  ;  the  second,  a  little  more  pathetic,  my  sister 
undertook.  The  alternate  curses,  horrible  indeed  yet  well- 
sounding,  thus  flowed  from  our  lips,  and  we  seized  every 
opportunity  to  greet  each  other  with  these  infernal  phrases. 

"  It  was  a  Saturday  evening  in  winter.  My  father  al- 
ways had  himself  shaved  by  candle-light,  in  order  to  be 
able  on  Sunday  morning  to  dress  for  church  at  his  leisure. 
We  sat  on  a  footstool  behind  the  stove,  and  while  the 
barber  put  on  the  lather,  murmured  in  moderately  low  tones 
our  customary  imprecations.  But  now  Adramelech  had  to 
lay  iron  hands  on  Satan.  My  sister  seized  me  violently, 
and  recited  softly  enough,  but  with  increasing  passion  : 

"  '  Give  me  thine  aid,  I  entreat  thee  ;  will  worship  thee  if  thou 
requires! — 

Thee,  thou  monster  abandoned  ;  yes,  thee,  of  all  criminals  black- 
est. 

Aid  me  ;  I  suffer  the  tortures  of  death,  which  is  vengeful, eternal. 

Once,  in  the  time  gone  by,  with  a  hot,  fierce  hate  I  could  hate 
thee. 

Now  I  can  hate  thee  no  more.  E'en  this  is  the  sharpest  of  tor 
tures. ' 


250       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

'  Thus  far  everything  had    gone    tolerably  well  ;  but 
loudly,  with  a  terrible  voice,  she  shouted  out  the  following 

words  : 

"  '  O,  wie  bin  ich  zermalmt  ! 
Oh,  how  am  I  crushed  ! ' 

"  The  good  barber  was  startled,  and  upset  the  lather 
basin  over  my  father's  breast.  There  was  a  great  uproar, 
and  a  severe  investigation  was  held,  especially  in  view  of 
the  mischief  that  might  have  resulted  had  the  shaving 
been  actually  going  forward.  In  order  to  remove  from 
ourselves  all  suspicion  of  wantonness,  we  confessed  to  our 
satanic  characters,  and  the  misfortune  occasioned  by  the 
hexameters  was  too  apparent  for  them  not  to  be  anew 
condemned  and  banished." 

The  wide  staircase  begins  in  the  large  hall  on  the  ground 
floor,  and  leads  on  each  story  to  a  spacious  antechamber 
or  hall,  out  of  which  all  the  rooms  open.  These  ante- 
chambers on  each  floor,  with  large  windows  toward  the  gar- 
den or  court,  are  frequently  referred  to  by  Goethe  as 
having  been  the  delight  of  his  childhood.  In  them  the 
family  passed  much  of  their  time  during  the  warm  season 
of  the  year,  and  the  children  found  there  ample  space  for 
play.  On  the  second  floor  were  the  "  best  rooms."  We 
learn  in  an  early  chapter  of  "  Wilhelm  Meister's  Appren- 
ticeship" that  they  had  what  was  called  English  furniture, 
and  wall-paper  of  a  Chinese  pattern.  Hardly  had  the  old 
Rath  got  them  furnished  to  his  mind  when  the  Seven 
Years'  War  broke  out  ;  Frankfort  was  occupied  by  the 
French,  and  the  Count  Thorane  from  Provence  was  bil- 
leted upon  him.  The  Count,  a  well-bred  and  highly  cul- 
tivated nobleman,  did  everything  in  his  power  to  make 
his  presence  as  little  burdensome  as  possible,  and  even 
refrained  from  hanging  up  his  maps  on  the  Chinese  wall- 
paper. The  friends  of  the  family  were  never  wearied  in 
dwelling  on  the  Herr  Rath's  good  fortune  that  so  gentle- 


The   Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.      251 

manly  an  occupant  had  fallen  to  his  lot.  But  the  Herr 
Rath  would  listen  to  no  palliative  suggestions  ;  he  was 
almost  beside  himself  with  rage  at  seeing  his  best  rooms, 
the  apple  of  his  eye,  seized  upon  by  strangers  and  ene- 
mies ;  and,  added  to  this,  he  was  so  fierce  a  partisan  for 
"  Old  Fritz"  that  during  the  whole  time  of  the  Count's 
stay,  which  extended  to  about  three  years,  Rath  Goethe 
went  about  with  a  thorn  in  his  flesh,  and  on  one  occasion 
gave  vent  to  his  long  pent-up  wrath  in  such  terms  that  only 
the  urgent  intercessions  of  his  wife  and  friends  saved  him 
from  immediate  arrest.  The  mother  and  children  were  at 
once  on  the  best  of  terms  with  the  Count,  who  often  sent 
the  children  cake  and  ices  from  his  table  ;  but  the  ices,  to 
the  children's  great  distress,  the  mother  always  threw  out 
of  the  window,  declaring,  in  her  honest  simplicity,  that 
she  did  not  believe  the  human  stomach  could  digest  ice,  be 
it  ever  so  much  sweetened.  Goethe  dwells  at  some  length 
on  this  very  important  period  of  his  boyhood,  and  the  in- 
fluences upon  his  own  growth  and  development  which 
arose  from  Count  Thorane's  residence  in  his  father's 
house. 

The  rooms  which  the  Count  occupied  consist  of  one 
large  central  drawing-room  having  four  windows  to  the 
street,  with  rooms  opening  out  of  it  on  each  side,  that  on 
the  left  having  two  windows,  and  the  smaller  one  on  the 
right  but  one.  The  Count  was  subject  to  fits  of  dejection 
or  hypochondria,  at  which  times  he  would  retire  for  days 
and  see  no  one  but  his  servant.  He  filled  the  post  of  Lieu- 
tenant du  Roi,  a  sort  of  Judge-Advocate,  whose  business 
it  was  to  decide  upon  all  cases  of  strife  arising  between 
soldiers  or  between  soldiers  and  citizens  ;  but  when  his 
hypochondria  seized  him,  not  the  most  urgent  cases  could 
draw  him  from  the  little  one-windowed  nest  to  the  right 
of  the  drawing-room,  which  he  had  chosen  for  his 
"  growlery."  The  family  learned  from  the  servant's  gos- 


252       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

sip  that  the  Count  once,  when  this  fit  was  on  him,  had 
given  what  he  afterward  thought  a  very  unrighteous  deci- 
sion, and  hence  his  determination  to  retire  entirely  at  such 
seasons  from  all  participation  in  human  affairs. 

Passing  up  the  stairs  from  the  second  to  the  third  floor, 
we  notice  the  monograms  J.  C.  G.,  C.  E.  G.,  in  the 
wrought-iron  stair  railing.  We  cross  the  cheerful  ante- 
chamber and  come  to  the  apartments  which  the  family  oc- 
cupied. The  division  of  the  rooms  is  slightly  different 
from  that  on  the  floor  below,  the  central  room  being 
smaller,  with  but  three  windows,  the  side  rooms  having 
each  two.  The  central  room  was  the  family  drawing- 
room  ;  here,  as  has  been  mentioned,  all  the  pictures  were 
hung  after  the  rebuilding,  hence  it  was  usually  called  the 
picture-room."  Count  Thorane,  a  great  lover  of  art, 
hearing  the  picture-room  spoken  of  on  the  night  of  his 
arrival,  insisted  upon  seeing  it  at  once,  and  went  over  each 
picture  with  a  candle  in  his  hand.  To  the  left  of  the 
picture-room  was  the  Herr  Rath's  library,  study,  and 
special  sanctum.  Besides  its  two  front  windows  it  has  a 
little  window  in  the  side  wall,  giving  a  good  view  up  the 
street.  A  few  lines  in  the  Autobiography  explain  its  use. 
"  I  slipped  home,"  Goethe  writes,  "  by  a  roundabout 
way,  for  on  the  side  toward  the  kleiner  Kirschgraben  my 
father,  not  without  the  opposition  of  his  neighbor,  had  had 
a  small  guekfenster  (peep-hole)  made  in  the  wall  ;  this  side 
we  avoided  when  we  did  not  wish  him  to  see  us  coming 
home."  To  the  right  of  the  picture-room  was  the  Frau 
Rath's  sitting-room,  and  behind  and  communicating  with 
it,  looking  toward  the  court,  the  parents'  bedroom — the 
room  in  which  the  poet  was  born — and  in  the  wing,  still 
farther  in  the  rear,  the  children's  bedroom. 

On  the  fourth  floor  we  come  to  the  Mansard  rooms — the 
poet's  rooms — which  require  a  few  words  of  preface.  From 
the  time  of  its  sale  in  1795  by  Goethe's  mother  until  the 


The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.      253 

death  of  the  poet  in  1832,  the  Goethe  house  seems  to  have 
been  little  thought  of.  But  the  renewed  interest  in  a  great 
man's  history  which  is  always  awakened  by  his  death, 
brought  again  into  notice  the  house  in  which  Goethe  \vas 
born.  The  Roessing  family,  in  whose  possession  it  was, 
were  at  first  very  much  astonished  at  the  frequent  applica- 
tions to  see  the  house.  The  first  one  occurred  in  the 
year  after  Goethe's  death,  and,  from  that  time,  the  num- 
ber of  visitors  increased  day  by  day.  There  is  on  the 
fourth  floor  a  small  attic  room  to  which  some  obscure  tra- 
dition was  attached  as  having  been  Goethe's  room.  The 
Roessings  accepted  this  tradition  without  investigation, 
and  thus  for  thirty-five  years,  it  was  the  custom  to  con- 
duct visitors  at  once  to  this  little  attic  and  point  it  out  to 
them  as  Goethe's  chamber  where  he  had  written  his  earlier 
works.  Of  course  it  was  not  long  before  it  got  the  name 
of  the  Werther-Zimmer,  and  Bettina  von  Arnim  uncon- 
sciously added  to  the  apocryphal  character  of  her  book 
("Goethe's  Correspondence  with  a  Child")  by  having  a 
view  of  the  Werther-Zimmer  engraved  as  a  frontispiece  to 
it.  So  striking  a  confirmation  of  the  supposed  fondness 
of  the  Muses  for  garrets  could  not  fail  to  be  noted,  and 
many  a  sage  visitor  doubtless  dwelt  upon  the  coincidence 
that  the  rich  man's  son  must  go  to  the  garret  to  mount 
his  Pegasus.  But  the  whole  romance  of  the  Werther  attic 
has  been  crumbled  in  the  dust  by  Dr.  G.  H.  Otto  Volger, 
who,  with  true  German  patience  and  industry,  has  so 
thoroughly  investigated  every  point  in  connection  with  the 
Goethe  mansion.  It  is  not  necessary  to  follow  Dr.  Vol- 
ger into  all  the  details  of  his  proof.  The  chief  points  are  : 
i  st.  That  the  so-called  Werther  room  is  not  in  the  gable , 
and  has  no  rooms  communicating  with  it.  2d.  That  it 
never  has  a  ray  of  morning  sun.  In  regard  to  the  first 
point,  Goethe  constantly  speaks  of  his  room  as  a  gable 
room  (Giebelzimmer),  having  other  rooms  communicating 


254       The  Goethe  Hoiise  at  Frankfort. 

with  it.  In  regard  to  the  second  point,  the  fact  that 
Goethe's  room  had  the  morning  sun  is  established  by  the 
poet's  well-known  account  of  his  morning  sacrifice  to  the 
Almighty,  after  the  Old  Testament  fashion,  when  the  rays 
of  the  morning  sun,  concentrated  through  a  burning-glass, 
were  made  to  light  the  pastilles  on  the  boy's  extemporized 
altar.  Dr.  Volger  selects  the  long  celebrated  attic  as  the 
place  where  the  silkworms  were  kept,  and  where  the  en- 
gravings were  bleached,  as  so  circumstantially  described 
in  the  Autobiography. 

Passing  by  the  Werther  room,  which  is  directly  to  the 
right  on  reaching  the  top  of  the  staircase,  and  crossing  the 
antechamber,  similar  to  those  on  the  other  floors,  one 
comes  to  the  poet's  rooms.  The  central  one  is  a  pleasant 
and  spacious  reception-room,  where  the  son  of  the  house 
could  recieve  with  dignity,  and  without  apology,  the  friends 
and  the  visitors  of  distinction  whom  the  success  of 
"  Goetz"  and  of  "  Werther"  attracted  to  him  from  every 
quarter.  It  stands  at  present  bare  and  cheerless,  but  we 
can  picture  to  ourselves  the  simple  furniture,  the  books, 
the  pictures,  the  casts  from  the  antique — heads  of  the  Lao- 
coon  group,  and  of  Niobe  and  her  children — and  the 
minerals,  and  the  natural  curiosities  which  bore  witness  to 
the  mental  activity  and  versatility  of  its  occupant.  The 
house  directly  opposite  is  the  only  one  in  the  Hirschagra- 
ben,  except  the  Goethe  mansion,  which  remains  unchanged, 
so  that,  in  looking  from  the  poet's  window,  the  outline 
and  general  effect  of  the  opposite  house  are  precisely  what 
they  were  when  the  boy-worshipper  stood  in  the  early 
morning  light  waiting  for  the  sun  to  peer  over  its  roof  and 
kindle  his  altar  fire.  This  house,  in  the  Goethes'  time, 
was  occupied  by  the  family  Von  Ochsenstein,  whose  sons 
were  Wolfgang's  playmates. 

The  last  years  of  Goethe's  residence  at  home,  before 
he  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe- 


The  GoetJie  House  at  Frankfort.      255 

Weimar,  were  those  of  his  early  fame  as  the  author  of 
"  Goetz"  and  "  Werther,"  and  his  growing  reputation 
brought  many  new  elements  into  the  family  life.  Everybody 
of  distinction,  especially  of  literary  distinction,  who  came 
to  Frankfort,  sought  the  acquaintance  of  Goethe,  and  the 
stately  house  in  the  Hirschgraben  was  enlivened  by  visitors 
of  many  qualities,  who  were  received  with  a  formal  but 
generous  hospitality.  The  old  Rath  did  his  best  to  pre- 
serve a  polite  silence  when  sentiments  were  uttered  which 
shocked  all  his  preconceptions,  while  the  mother  won  all 
hearts  by  her  good-nature,  jollity,  and  sound  common- 
sense.  The  departure  of  the  poet  for  Weimar  made  no 
very  great  change  in  this  respect  ;  the  admirers  of  the 
poet  came  to  pay  their  respects  to  his  parents,  and  a  visit 
to  Goethe's  mother,  especially,  was  looked  forward  to  as 
an  honor  and  a  pleasure.  The  house  came  to  be  generally 
known  among  Goethe's  friends  as  the  Casa  Santa,  a  name 
it  probably  first  received  from  Wieland. 

In  1779  the  poet  came  himself,  bringing  with  him  his 
friend,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe- Weimar.  Nobles,  trades- 
people, and  hotel-keepers  were  open-mouthed  with  wonder 
at  seeing  a  grand  duke  dwelling  in  a  simple  citizen's 
house.  But  the  disappointment  of  the  father  that  his  son 
had  not  followed  the  path  of  a  jurist,  for  which  he  had 
drilled  him  during  his  boyhood,  was,  perhaps,  amply 
made  up  for  when  the  son  returned  home  a  Privy-Coun- 
cillor (Geheim-Rath),  and  brought  a  grand  duke  to 
Frankfort  as  his  guest. 

In  1782  theHerr  Ralh  died,  in  his  seventy-second  year. 
For  thirteen  years  the  Frau  Rath  lived  alone  in  the 
Casa  Santa — nominally,  at  least,  alone,  for  the  stream  of 
visitors  was  almost  constant.  "  I  am  much  more  fortunate 
than  Frau  von  Reck,"  she  writes  ;  "  that  lady  must  travel 
about  in  order  to  see  Germany's  learned  men,  they  all  visit 
me  in  my  house,  which  is  by  far  more  convenient— yes. 


256       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

yes,  those  to  whom  God  is  gracious,  He  blesses  in  their 
sleep."  * 

Our  visit  to  Goethe's  early  home  terminates  with  the  in- 
spection of  his  own  rooms  on  the  fourth  floor.  We  return 
to  the  consideration  of  what  we  have  ventured  to  call  the 
dramatis  personce  of  the  home  circle,  and  having  already 
spoken  of  the  father,  we  now  come  to  the  sister  and  the 
mother. 

The  relations  between  Goethe  and  his  sister  Cornelia 
were  of  the  most  intimate  kind.  There  -was  but  a  year's 
difference  in  their  ages,  and  they  were  often  taken  to  be 
twins.  They  shared  together  the  joys  and  sorrows  of 
childhood,  and  no  new  experience  was  complete  until  com- 
municated to  the  other.  The  brother's  departure  for  the 
University  of  Leipsic  was  their  first  separation,  and  in 
Wolfgang's  absence,  Cornelia  led  a  weary  life.  All  the 
father's  pedagogy  was  now  exerted  upon  her.  He  left  her 
no  time  for  social  pleasures  or  for  associating  with  other 
young  girls  ;  an  occasional  concert  was  her  only  relaxa- 
tion. Even  the  relation  of  mutual  confidence  between  the 
brother  and  sister  was  entirely  broken  up,  as  all  their  let- 
ters passed  through  the  father's  hands.  It  was,  therefore, 
not  strange  when  Goethe  returned  home,  after  an  absence 
of  nearly  three  years,  that  he  found  the  father  and  daugh- 
ter living  in  a  state  of  almost  open  hostility,  and  was  him- 
self made  the  confidant  of  his  sister's  complaints,  and  of 
his  mother's  anxieties  in  her  position  of  mediator  and 
peacemaker.  Of  his  sister  Goethe  writes  : 

*  "  Ja,  ja,  wem's  Gottgonnt  giebt  er's  im  Schlaf  " — an  idiomatic 
phrase  difficult  to  translate  ;  a  similar  one,  "  Gott  giebt  es  den  Sei- 
nen  im  Schlaf  "  (God  blesses  his  own  in  their  sleep),  is  in  frequent 
use  in  Germany.  "  Im  Schlaf  "  is  used  to  express  anything  that 
has  been  obtained  without  personal  effort  ;  for  example,  should  any 
one  become  rich  by  inheritance  or  a  sudden  rise  in  values,  the  Ger- 
mans would  say,  "  Er  ist  reich  ge»vorden  im  Schlaf  "  (He  has  be- 
come rich  in  his  sleep). 


The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.      257 

"  She  had  by  turns  to  pursue  and  work  at  French, 
Italian,  and  English,  besides  which  he  (the  father)  com- 
pelled her  to  practise  at  the  harpsichord  a  great  part  of 
the  day.  Writing  also  was  not  to  be  neglected,  and  I  had 
already  remarked  that  he  had  directed  her  correspondence 
with  me,  and  communicated  to  me  his  teachings  through 
her  pen.  My  sister  was,  and  still  continued  to  be,  an 
indefinable  being,  the  most  singular  mixture  of  strength  and 
weakness,  of  obstinacy  and  compliance,  which  qualities 
acted,  now  united,  and  now  separated,  at  her  own  will  and 
inclination.  Thus  she,  in  a  manner  which  seemed  to  me 
terrible,  had  turned  the  hardness  of  her  character  against 
her  father,  whom  she  did  not  forgive,  because  during 
these  three  years  he  had  forbidden  or  embittered  to  her 
many  an  innocent  pleasure,  and  she  would  acknowledge  no 
single  one  of  his  good  and  excellent  qualities.  She  did  all 
that  he  commanded  or  directed,  but  in  the  most  unamiable 
manner  in  the  world  ;  she  did  it  in  the  established  routine, 
but  nothing  more  and  nothing  less  ;  out  of  love  or  favor 
she  accommodated  herself  to  nothing,  so  that  this  was  one 
of  the  first  things  about  which  my  mother  complained  in  a 
private  conversation  with  me." 

Cornelia  seems  to  have  inherited  many  of  her  father's 
traits  of  character,  and  the  Herr  Rath  found  his  own  in- 
flexibility matched  against  the  same  quality,  which  had 
been  transmitted  to  his  child. 

On  Wolfgang's  return  from  Leipsic  the  old  confidential 
relations  were  resumed  between  the  brother  and  the 
sister.  All  their  thoughts  and  feelings  were  shared  ;  Cor- 
nelia read  his  letters  from  his  University  friends,  and  went 
over  with  him  his  replies  to  them.  These  were  the  hap- 
piest days  of  Cornelia's  life  ;  they  amount,  deducting  Wolf- 
gang's absence  for  a  year  and  a  half  at  Strasburg,  to  about 
three  years  and  a  half.  They  are  most  interesting  to  us  in 
connection  with  Cornelia's  influence  upon  the  produc- 


258       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

tion  of  "  Goetz  von  Berlichingen,"  as  Goethe  thus  re- 
lates it : 

"  I  had,  as  I  proceeded,  conversed  circumstantially 
about  it  with  my  sister,  who  took  part  in  such  matters  with 
heart  and  soul.  I  so  often  renewed  this  conversation 
without  taking  any  steps  toward  beginning  work,  that  she 
at  length,  impatient  and  interested,  begged  me  earnestly 
not  to  be  ever  talking  into  the  air,  but  once  for  all  to  set 
down  on  paper  that  which  was  so  present  to  my  mind. 
Determined  by  this  impulse,  I  began  one  morning  to  write 
without  having  first  sketched  out  any  draft  or  plan.  I 
wrote  the  first  scenes,  and  in  the  evening  they  were  read 
to  Cornelia.  She  greatly  applauded  them,  yet  qualified 
her  praise  by  the  doubt  whether  I  should  so  continue  ; 
indeed,  she  expressed  a  decided  unbelief  in  my  persever- 
ance. This  stimulated  me  only  the  more.  I  went  on  the 
next  day,  and  the  third  ;  hope  increased  with  the  daily 
communications,  and  everything,  step  by  step,  gained 
more  life  as  I  became  thoroughly  master  of  the  subject. 
Thus  I  kept  myself  uninterruptedly  at  the  work,  which  I 
pursued  straight  onward,  looking  neither  backward  nor  to 
the  right  or  the  left,  and  in  about  six  weeks  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  the  manuscript  stitched." 

Cornelia's  memory  is  still  further  associated  with  her 
brother's  first  success  by  the  discovery  of  her  portrait 
sketched  by  Goethe  in  pencil  on  the  margin  of  a  proof- 
sheet  of  ' '  Goetz. ' '  A  copy  of  it  is  given  by  Professor  Otto 
Jahn  in  his  collection  of  "  Goethe's  Letters  to  his  Leipsic 
Friends."  (See #;/&?,  p.  47.)  The  resemblance  to  Goethe  is 
strongly  marked  in  the  prominent  nose,  and,  above  all,  in  the 
large  eyes,  of  which  he  wrote  :  ' '  Her  eyes  are  not  the  finest 
I  have  ever  seen,  but  the  deepest,  behind  which  you  expect- 
ed the  most  ;  and  when  they  expressed  any  affection,  any 
love,  their  brilliancy  was  unequalled."  The  face  is  inter- 
esting, but  one  that  would  be  ordinarily  classed  among 


Tlic   Goethe  House,  at  Frankfort.       259 

the  very  plain.  Cornelia  became  early  conscious  of  this, 
and  tormented  herself  with  the  conviction  that  no  woman 
without  personal  beauty  could  expect  to  inspire  any  man 
with  love.  It  does  hot  seem  to  have  occurred  to  her  that 
mental  accomplishments  might  make  up  for  the  lack  of 
beauty.  Probably  she  had  little  idea  of  her  own  mental 
qualities,  the  state  of  isolation  in  which  she  was  brought 
up  having  deprived  her  of  the  means  of  comparing  herself 
with  other  girls  of  her  own  age,  and  kept  her  in  ignorance 
of  her  superiority — a  superiority  due,  first,  to  her  own 
mental  powers,  and,  secondly,  to  her  father's  unflagging 
instructions.  In  her  diary,  which  is  given  in  Professor 
Jahn's  book,  she  indulges  at  great  length  in  these  self- 
tormenting  reflections.  Hapless  Cornelia  !  the  world 
reads  this  diary,  which  was  her  one  secret  from  her 
brother,  and  which  she  wrote  in  French,  perhaps  with 
the  idea  that,  should  it  be  mislaid,  the  foreign  tongue  would 
keep  it  secret  from  many.  It  is  addressed  to  one  of  her 
female  friends.  She  has  been  reading  "  Sir  Charles 
Grandison,"  and  thus  gives  utterance  to  her  feelings  in 
school-girl  French  : 

"  Je  donnerais  tout  au  monde  pour  pouvoir  parvenir 
dans  plusieurs  annees  &  imiter  tant  soit  peu  1'excellente 
Miss  Byron.  L'imiter  ?  Folle  que  je  suis  ;  le  puis-je  ? 
Je  m'estimerais  assez  heureuse  d'avoir  la  vingtieme  partie 
de  1'esprit  et  de  la  beaute  de  cette  admirable  dame,  car 
alors  je  serais  une  aimable  fille  ;  c'est  ce  souhait  que  me 
tient  au  coeur  jour  et  nuit.  Je  serais  a  blame  si  je  desiniis 
d'etre  une  grande  beaute  ;  seulement  un  peu  de  finesse 
dans  les  traits,  un  teint  uni,  et  puis  cette  grace  douce  qui 
enchante  au  premier  coup  de  vue  ;  voila  tout.  Cependant 
£a  n'est  pas  et  ne  sera  jamais,  quoique  je  puisse  faire  et  sou- 
haiter  ;  ainsi  il  vaudra  mieux  de  cultiver  1'esprit  et  t&cher 
d'etre  supportable  du  moins  de  ce  cote-la." 

Further  on  : 

"  Vous  aurez   deja  entendue  que  je  fais  grand  cas  des 


2<x>       The  Goethe  ffouse  at  Frankfort. 

charmes  exterieures,  mais  peut-etre  que  vous  ne  savez  pas 
encore  que  je  les  tiens  pour  absolument  necessaires  au 
bonheur  de  la  vie  et  que  je  crois  pour  cela  que  je  ne  serai 
jamais  heureuse.  .  .  .  Epouserai-je  un  rnari  que  je 
n'aime  pas  ?  Cette  pensee  me  fait  honneur  et  cependant  ce 
sera  le  seul  parti  qui  me  reste,  car  ou  trouver  un  homme 
aimable  qui  pensat  a  moi  ?  Ne  croyez  pas,  ma  chere,  que 
ce  soit  grimace  :  Vous  connaissez  les  replis  de  mon  coeur, 
je  ne  vous  cache  rien,  et  pourquoi  le  ferais-je  ?" 

These  words  show  by  what  sentiments  she  was  actuated 
in  accepting  the  hand  of  John  George  Schlosser.  Her 
brother's  absence  at  Strasburg  had  brought  back  again  to 
her  the  wearisomeness  of  her  home  life.  Goethe  had  now 
returned  from  Strasburg  a  Doctor-at-Law,  but  was  soon  to 
leave  again  for  Wetzlar  in  continuation  of  his  juristical 
studies,  as  marked  out  years  before  by  his  father.  Cor- 
nelia saw  the  world  opening  to  her  brother,  and  felt  that  her 
only  happiness  was  slipping  from  her  grasp.  Her  life  at 
home  without  Wolfgang  was  intolerable  to  her,  and  to 
escape  from  it  she  accepted  the  offer  of  marriage. 

John  George  Schlosser  was  an  early  friend  of  her  brother. 
He  was  ten  years  older  than  Goethe,  and  when  he 
visited  Leipsic  during  Goethe's  stay  there,  the  difference 
in  age  caused  the  latter  to  look  up  to  Schlosser  as  in  many 
respects  his  superior.  Schlosser  afterward  edited  a  literary 
journal  at  Frankfort,  to  which  Goethe  contributed,  and 
the  intimate  relations  with  the  brother  led  to  the  acquaint- 
ance with  the  sister. 

The  bridegroom  had  been  promised  an  appointment  in 
the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  and  expected  to  be  placed  at 
Carlsruhe,  the  capital.  But  hardly  had  the  newly-married 
pair  reached  Carlsruhe  when  they  learned  that  they  were 
to  reside  in  Emmendingen,  a  little  village  on  the  borders 
of  the  Black  Forest,  where  Schlosser  was  to  fill  the  post  of 
Chief  Magistrate  of  the  County  of  Hochberg.  Goethe 


The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort,       261 

humorously  hints  that  probably  neither  the  Grand  Duke  nor 
his  ministers  cared  to  come  too  often  in  contact  with 
Schlosser's  blunt  honesty,  a  view  which  is  confirmed  by 
Lavater's  description  of  him  as  a  man  made  to  tell  princes 
truths  which  no  one  else  would  dare  to  communicate  to 
them.  With  this  very  honest  and  not  very  lively  compan- 
ion, for  whom  she  had  no  stronger  feeling  than  esteem, 
Cornelia  went  to  her  exile  in  the  Black  Forest.  Schlosser 
was  very  much  occupied  with  his  duties  as  magistrate,  and 
devoted  his  leisure  moments  to  writing  moral  and  religious 
cathechisms  for  the  people.  Rath  Geothe  said  of  his  son- 
in-law  that  he  seemed  never  to  be  done  with  having  books 
printed,  and  alt  his  friends  exerted  themselves  to  moder- 
ate this  mania  for  rushing  into  print.  But,  in  spite  of 
them  all,  he  became  a  very  voluminous  writer  of  books,  all 
of  which,  with  the  exception  ot  some  translations  from  the 
Greek,  have  long  since  gone  into  oblivion.  Fancy  a 
woman  whose  intellectual  powers  had  been  aroused  and 
developed  in  the  most  intimate  relations  with  a  mind  such 
as  the  world  has  rarely  known — fancy  such  a  woman  shut 
up  in  the  Black  Forest  with  a  man  who  wrote  catechisms, 
and  replies  to  Pope's  "  Essay  on  Man  !"  In  a  town  she 
would  have  gathered  about  her  a  circle  of  which  her  great 
gifts  would  have  made  her  the  centre.  Goethe  says  :  "  I 
must  candidly  confess  that  when  I  dwelt  often  in  fancy 
upon  her  lot  I  could  not  <hink  of  her  as  a  wife,  but  rather 
as  an  abbess,  as  the  head  of  some  honored  community. 
She  possessed  every  qualification  that  so  lofty  a  position 
requires,  but  lack-ed  those  which  the  world  persistently 
demands."  In  the  lonely  house  in  the  Black  Forest  there 
was  nothing  left  for  Cornelia  but  intellectual  and  social 
starvation,  to  which  was  added  ill  health.  She  writes  : 
"'  We  are  here  entirely  alone  ;  there  is  no  soul*  to  be 


*  That  is.  no  one  her  equal  in  education  or  position. 


262       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

found  within  three  or  four  miles.  My  husband's  occupa- 
tions allow  him  to  pass  but  little  time  with  me,  and  so  I 
drag  slowly  through  the  world  with  a  body  which  is  fit  for 
nothing  but  the  grave.  Winter  is  always  unpleasant  and 
burdensome  to  me  ;  the  beauties  of  nature  afford  us  here 
our  single  pleasure,  and  when  nature  sleeps,  everything 
sleeps." 

Cornelia  died  in  childbed  in  the  fourth  year  after  her 
marriage,  leaving  two  daughters,  of  whom  the  younger 
died  in  her  sixteenth  year,  and  the  elder  married  Professor 
Nicolorius.  Schlosser  survived  his  wife  many  years,  mar- 
ried again,  died,  and  was  buried  at  Frankfort  ;  but  pitiless 
fate  left  to  Cornelia  not  even  her  remote  and  lonely  grave 
at  Emmendingen.  The  grave  was  obliterated  during  an 
enlargement  of  the  churchyard,  and  thus,  while  the  oaken 
coffin  containing  the  remains  of  Wolfgang  Goethe  lies  in 
state  by  that  of  Schiller  in  the  Grand  Ducal  Vault  at  Wei- 
mar, the  last  resting  place  of  Cornelia  is  not  merely  un- 
marked, but  unknown. 

The  most  widely-known  and  loved  member  of  Goethe's 
family  was  his  mother.  She  possessed  the  qualities  which 
win  affection — a  joyous  temperament,  a  strong  desire  to 
please  every  one,  a  lively  imagination,  hearty  good  nature, 
and  great  common-sense.  Her  youth  and  inexperience 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage  have  already  been  alluded  to. 
But  she  could  not  long  remain  a  child  in  the  difficult  po- 
sition in  which  she  found  herself  between  the  children  and 
the  stern,  exacting  father.  All  her  energies  were  bent  to 
securing  tranquillity  in  the  household,  and  she  was  the  pilot 
who,  with  ready  skill  and  quick  wit,  carried  them  all  safely 
through  many  a  stormy  passage.  The  Frau  Rath  survived 
her  husband  twenty-six  years,  and  this  was  the  happiest 
period  of  her  life,  when  she  realized  all  her  fondest  an- 
ticipations of  her  son's  genius,  and  felt  that  there  was  no 
prouder  title  than  that  of  Goethe's  mother.  She  con- 


Tfie   Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.       263 

cealed  her  joy  and  exaltation  behind  no  thin  mask  of  shy-' 
ness,  but  openly  laid  claim  to  the  honor  she  thought  her 
due.  She  was  very  fond  of  singing  in  the  circle  of  her 
friends  her  son's  songs,  which  had  been  set  to  music  by 
Reichardt  ;  the  song  in  Faust  "  Es  war  einmal  ein 
Konig,"  she  was  especially  fond  of  ;  she  would  call  upon 
the  company  to  make  a  chorus,  and  at  the  conclusion 
would  place  her  hand  upon  her  heart  and  proudly  ex-. 
claim,  "  Den  hab'  ich  geboren."  * 

The  coronation  of  the  Emperor  Leopold  in  1790  filled 
Frankfort  to  overflowing,  and  guests  were  billeted  upon 
all  the  inhabitants.  The  Frau  Rath  writes  to  Friedrich 
von  Stein  :  "  The  quartermasters  have  not  yet  been  here. 
Consequently  I  do  not  venture  outside  the  door,  and  in 
this  magnificent  weather  sit  as  it  were  in  the  Bastile,  for  if 
they  should  find  me  absent,  they  might  take  the  whole 
house  ;  these  gentlemen  are  confounded  quick  at  taking, 
and  when  they  have  once  marked  rooms,  I  would  not 
advise  any  one  to  dispose  of  them  in  any  other  manner." 

Two  Mecklenburg  princesses  were  assigned  to  her,  one 
of  whom  became  afterward  Queen  of  Hanover,  and  the 
other  the  celebrated  Queen  Louisa  of  Prussia. 

The  Frau  Rath  conceived  a  great  affection  for  these  prin- 
cesses, always  speaking  of  them  as  "wy  princesses."  They 
were  afterward  taken  on  a  visit  to  the  Elector's  Court  at 
Mayence,  where  a  lady  of  high  position  at  the  court,  Frau 
von  Coudenhoven,  reproved  the  Princess  Louisa  for  appear- 
ing with  long  sleeves,  which  circumstance,  coming  to  the 
knowledge  of  Frau  Rath  Goethe,  filled  her  with  indigna- 
tion. Some  years  later,  when  the  Princess  Louisa  had 
become  Queen  of  Prussia,  she  came  to  Frankfort,  and  in- 
vited the  Frau  Rath  to  visit  her  at  Wilhelmsbad,  near 
Frankfort.  The  Queen  took  her  to  the  spring,  and  had 

*  Literally.  "  Him  I  bore,"  or  as  an  English-speaking  mother 
would  probably  have  expressed  it,  "  He  is  my  son." 


264       The  Goethe  House  at  Frankfort. 

her  sit  by  her  side  while  the  guests  came  to  pay  their 
respects.  The  Frau  Rath  asked  the  name  of  every  one,  and 
among  them  was  Frau  von  Coudenhoven.  "  What  !  the 
one  who  was  so  cross  ?  Please  your  Majesty,  order  her 
to  cut  off  her  sleeves  !"  exclaimed  she  in  the  greatest  rage. 

After  she  sold  the  house  in  the  Hirschgraben  the  Frau 
Rath  lived  in  hired  apartments  in  a  house  on  the  Ross- 
markt,  near  the  central  guard-house.  The  windows 
looked  down  the  whole  length  of  the  Zeil,  the  principal 
street  of  Frankfort,  and  the  lively  old  lady  doubtless  found 
much  companionship  in  the  busy  scence.  Before  she  died 
she  had  spent  nearly  all  of  her  property.  It  was  once 
suggested  to  Goethe  that  his  mother  should  be  placed 
under  guardianship,  a  suggestion  which  he  warmly  resent- 
ed, declaring  that  his  mother  had  the  right  to  spend  every- 
thing, if  she  wished,  after  having  borne  close  restraint  so 
many  years  with  the  noblest  patience. 

She  died  on  the  ijth  of  September,  1808,  having  given, 
as  Goethe  relates  in  a  letter  to  Zelter,  the  minutest  direc- 
tions in  regard  to  her  funeral,  even  to  the  kind  of  wine 
and  the  size  of  the  cakes  which  were  to  be  offered  to  the 
mourners.  Others  have  added  that  she  impressed  it  upon 
the  servants  not  to  put  too  few  raisins  in  the  cake,  a  thing 
she  never  could  endure  in  her  lifetime,  and  which  would 
vex  her  in  her  grave.  Hearing  in  the  house  the  voice  of 
an  undertaker  who  had  come  to  offer  his  services,  she  sent 
him  a  sum  of  money,  with  her  regret  that  the  arrangements 
had  been  already  made. 

The  churchyard  where  the  members  of  the  Goethe  family 
were  buried  is  now  a  public  promenade  ;  here  and  there  a 
monument  or  headstone,  protected  by  a  paling,  remains  to 
tell  of  its  former  use.  The  Goethe  burial-place  had  long 
fallen  into  neglect,  and  been  forgotten,  when  the  centennial 
celebration  of  Goethe's  birthday  in  1849  awakened  atten- 
tion to  it.  The  position  of  the  Herr  Rath's  grave  could 


Tke   Goethe  House  at  Frankfort.       265 

not' be  definitely  ascertained,  but  the  grave  of  Goethe's 
mother  was  found,  and  a  simple  stone  was  placed  over  it, 
inscribed,  "  Das  Grab  der  Frau  Rath  Goethe,"  with  the 
dates  of  birth  and  death.  The  grave  is  near  the  outside 
wall  of  the  inclosure,  a  few  rods  from  one  of  the  gates. 
Few  visitors  to  Frankfort  fail  to  step  aside  to  read  the  brief 
inscription,  and  note  the  appropriateness  of  the  spot.  As 
the  daughter  of  a  Chief  Magistrate  of  Frankfort,  and 
sprung  from  a  family  for  many  years  represented  in  its 
councils,  no  more  fitting  burial-place  could  be  found  for 
Goethe's  mother  than  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city  where 
all  her  life  was  passed,  and  with  which  she  so  thoroughly 
indentified  herself.  The  busy  life  of  the  city  goes  on  all 
about  her  grave,  roses  bloom  over  it,  children  play  about 
it,  and  the  whole  place  seems  thoroughly  in  unison  with 
the  memory  of  this  genial,  large-hearted  woman,  one  of 
the  flowers  of  the  Frankfort  civilization  of  the  last  century. 


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QUARTER  LOAN 

APR  18  1994 

REPD  MUS-OB 

MAR  8-  1994 


